This is one way that the red mafia, also known as the Costa Rica taxi drivers might finally win the battle to get Uber out of the country.
If the Uber project is approved, what will that mean for the expense of the service? Uber clients will have to pay a 13% VAT charge. A trip that costs ¢5,000 today will cost ¢5,650 with the value added tax.
Drivers will have to assume five expenses to operate with the company. They’ll have to pay the government an annual car registration fee, ¢124,000, and driver’s code, ¢21,500. These will go to the Public Transportation Council. They would also have to register as independent workers with the CCSS and pay monthly for their medical insurance, between 10.5% and 18.5% of their net income. They’ll also have to have insurance policies that cover injury and death for themselves and third parties, approximately ¢60,000 semi-annually. Lastly, the drivers must register as tax payers and pay the Ministry of Finance according to income generated.
The company itself will have to pay 3% of each service charged on top of billions just to stay in the country. To register as a transport platform company it must pay 100 base salaries. It must also pay 18,600 base salaries for starting operations without permission.
