Informative returns (declaraciones informativas) are the forms a business uses to tell the Departamento de Hacienda (Puerto Rico's Treasury Department, "Hacienda") what it paid other people during the year: contractors, professionals, landlords, nonresidents and others. Hacienda uses that information to cross-check the returns of the people who received the money. For the business making the payments, filing on time matters for two reasons: penalties and the expense deduction.
This guide is for the business that makes the payments. If you are the one receiving an informative return, see withholding and forms.
Who has to file them
Section 1063.01(a) of the Código de Rentas Internas de 2011 (Internal Revenue Code of Puerto Rico of 2011) provides that every person engaged in a trade or business in Puerto Rico that, in a year, makes payments of $500 or more to an individual, trust or entity for rents, wages, services, compensation, premiums, annuities or other fixed or determinable income must file an informative return showing the amount and the recipient's name, address and account number.
This includes corporations, partnerships, LLCs and also individuals with their own business. Employee wages are reported on the 499R-2/W-2PR withholding statement, which we explain in employer obligations.
The main forms and their deadlines
The general deadline in the law is February 28 of the following year (Section 1063.01). When it falls on a weekend or holiday, it moves to the next business day. For tax year 2025 forms, Boletín Informativo de Rentas Internas Núm. 25-08 (Internal Revenue Informative Bulletin No. 25-08) set these dates:
| Form | What it reports | Deadline for tax year 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| 480.6SP | Services rendered | March 3, 2026 |
| 480.6SP.2 | Annual reconciliation of services rendered | March 3, 2026 |
| 480.6A | Other income not subject to withholding | March 3, 2026 |
| 480.6B | Other income subject to withholding | March 3, 2026 |
| 480.6B.1 | Annual reconciliation of other income subject to withholding | March 3, 2026 |
| 480.6C | Payments to nonresidents or for services from sources outside Puerto Rico | April 15, 2026 |
| 480.30 | Annual return of tax withheld from nonresidents | April 15, 2026 |
| 480.6D | Exempt and excluded income | March 3, 2026 |
| 480.6G | Transactions made by electronic means | March 3, 2026 |
| 480.7A | Mortgage interest | February 2, 2026 |
| 480.7D | Automobile lease payments | February 2, 2026 |
| 480.7, 480.7B, 480.7C and their reconciliations | Individual retirement accounts, educational contribution accounts and retirement plans | March 3, 2026 or November 30, 2026, as applicable |
| 480.7F | Payments received for advertising, insurance, telecommunications, internet and cable | March 3, 2026 |
| 480.5 | Summary of informative returns | Depends on the type of informative return it summarizes |
Bulletin 25-08 also explains the 2025 changes: Act 65-2025 expanded Form 480.6G, which platforms that process payments for merchants must file, and added bank fees to Forms 480.7E and 480.7F.
SURI only. Since Carta Circular de Rentas Internas Núm. 18-17 (Internal Revenue Circular Letter No. 18-17), all withholding statements and informative returns are filed only electronically in SURI (Hacienda's online system). Once filed, you must deliver the copy to the recipient within seven calendar days after the deadline. You can deliver it electronically if you meet the requirements of Circular Letter 16-11.
Payments for services: the 10% withholding
Many informative returns go hand in hand with the withholding at source on services rendered under Section 1062.03. The basic rules are:
- You withhold 10% of each payment for services rendered in Puerto Rico, for payments made after December 31, 2018. The provider can ask you to withhold more: 15%, 20% or another rate the law allows.
- The first $500 paid in the calendar year to each provider is exempt from withholding (not from reporting).
- Not "services" for this withholding: insurance premiums, the lease or sale of personal or real property, printing, the sale of newspapers and magazines (including ad placement) and radio or television airtime. Even so, those payments are reported.
- You deposit the amount withheld no later than the 10th day of the month after the month of the withholding, according to Hacienda's requirements page for new businesses.
The law excludes some payments from withholding, such as payments to hospitals, to exempt organizations and certain payments to direct sellers. According to Informative Bulletin 25-05, in those cases the provider gives you a sworn statement under Circular Letter 17-02, and you should not require a waiver from Hacienda. Hacienda clarified that it is not issuing waivers for those payments.
Your business pays a graphic designer $5,000 in March, and it is the first payment of the year. You withhold 10% on $4,500, because the first $500 is exempt: $450. You deposit the $450 no later than April 10, and early the following year you prepare an informative return of services rendered for the designer for the total paid during the year.
If the following year you forget to file the informative returns for six contractors you paid more than $500, the penalty would be $500 for each one: $3,000.
What happens if you don't file them
$500 penalty per form. Section 6041.11 imposes $500 for each informative return or reconciliation statement that is not filed on time or not filed in the required manner, including electronic filing, unless there is reasonable cause. Hacienda sums it up this way on its penalties page: $500 for each form filed late, not filed or not filed electronically.
$100 penalty for not delivering the copy. Section 6041.04 imposes $100 for each return not delivered to the recipient on time.
Loss of the deduction. Section 1063.01(a) provides that, if you haven't filed the required informative returns when you file your income tax return, you can't claim those payments as operating expenses. There are exceptions for businesses on the accrual method or a fiscal year that submit a reconciliation, or audited financial statements. In addition, for the alternative basic tax for individuals and the alternative minimum tax for corporations, every payment must be reported, even if it is less than $500, for you to deduct it.
Withholding not deposited. If you withheld and didn't deposit, Section 6041.01 adds a penalty of 2% for every 30 days of delay, up to 24%, plus interest.
The law excuses the $500 penalty when the amount reported is less than $500, and for certain items reported voluntarily only for purposes of the alternative basic tax or the alternative minimum tax.
Practical tips
- Ask for each provider's identification number and address when you hire them. The law requires the recipient to give them to you when you ask (Section 1063.01(c)).
- Keep a record for each provider of what you paid, what you withheld and the date of each deposit.
- Reconcile before you file. What you report on Form 480.6SP must match what you deposited and the 480.6SP.2 reconciliation.
- File your informative returns before your income tax return so you don't lose deductions. Check the tax calendar.
If your business is a corporation, also see how this affects the alternative minimum tax.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to file an informative return if I paid someone less than $500?
The general requirement applies to payments of $500 or more in the year. However, if you want to deduct the payment for the alternative basic tax or the alternative minimum tax, the law requires you to report it even if it is less than $500.
What is the difference between Form 480.6SP and Form 480.6A?
Form 480.6SP reports payments for services rendered. Form 480.6A reports other income not subject to withholding, and Form 480.6B other income subject to withholding. The instructions for each form, in Hacienda's forms section (in Spanish), explain what goes in each box.
Do I have to withhold on payments to a corporation?
Section 1062.03 applies to payments for services to another person, and "person" includes corporations and partnerships. The exclusions are in the law, such as payments to exempt organizations and to hospitals. If the provider claims an exclusion, they must give you the corresponding sworn statement.
What do I do if I made a mistake on an informative return I already filed?
File a correction through SURI as soon as you notice it and deliver the corrected copy to the recipient. If the error affects the recipient's return, let them know so they can amend theirs.
Do payment platforms have to report my sales?
Yes. Under Act 65-2025 and Bulletin 25-08, entities that process payments for merchants report those transactions on Form 480.6G, including processing fees. As a merchant, you can deduct the portion of those fees that is a business expense.
Sources
- Departamento de Hacienda, "Boletín Informativo de Rentas Internas Núm. 25-08 (comprobantes de retención y declaraciones informativas para el año 2025)", 3 de octubre de 2025. hacienda.pr.gov
- Código de Rentas Internas de Puerto Rico de 2011, según enmendado (Secciones 1062.03, 1063.01, 1063.10, 6041.01, 6041.04 y 6041.11), Departamento de Hacienda. hacienda.pr.gov
- Departamento de Hacienda, "Boletín Informativo de Rentas Internas Núm. 25-05 (retención sobre pagos efectuados por servicios prestados)", 14 de marzo de 2025. hacienda.pr.gov
- Departamento de Hacienda, "Penalidades por no entregar a empleados y no someter electrónicamente la Informativa y el Formulario W-2PR". hacienda.pr.gov
- Departamento de Hacienda, "Procesos y requisitos que debe cumplir en el Departamento Hacienda al establecer un negocio en Puerto Rico". hacienda.pr.gov
787TAX is an independent guide. It is not Puerto Rico's Departamento de Hacienda, the CRIM or the IRS. This page is general information, not tax or legal advice. Example figures are hypothetical. Found an error? Tell us.
