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QR code required for Buenos Aires property taxes: A new measure will allow owners and tenants to audit consortia - Infobae
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QR obligatorio en las expensas porteñas: una nueva medida hará que dueños e inquilinos puedan auditar a los consorcios
Desde este jueves, todas las expensas de los edificios porteños deberán operar a través de una herramienta digital que vincule la documentación respaldatoria. Quienes habiten esas viviendas tendrán acceso a facturas y al estado de aportes en la AFIP
www.infobae.com
August 1st, 2024
Starting this Thursday, all expenses of buildings in Buenos Aires must operate through a digital tool that links supporting documentation. Those who live in these homes will have access to invoices and the status of contributions to the AFIP.
By Jose Luis Cieri
QR code will be mandatory on expenses from this month
Through a provision of the General Directorate of Defense and Protection of Consumers of Buenos Aires, the government of the City of Buenos Aires established a new regulation that seeks to promote a more transparent management of housing consortia.
From now on, all expense statements must include a QR code or a hyperlink that allows owners and tenants to directly access supporting documentation, such as supplier invoices, as well as to check the status of contributions from the consortium's employees at the AFIP. This initiative aims to provide greater visibility and control over the expenses and income of the consortiums, and thus promote clearer and more responsible administration.
The Director General of Defense and Consumer Protection of Buenos Aires, Carlos Traboulsi , as the authority in charge of applying Buenos Aires Law 941 and its amendments, decided months ago to introduce a modification to the Single Expense Settlement Model that is mandatory in this city.
The inclusion of a QR code or link/hyperlink, which must be generated by the consortium administrator, will facilitate access to invoices and the status of contributions in the AFIP for consortium members. The administrator must create a database with the scanned documentation in PDF format, accessible through the QR code or link, allowing consortium members to verify the application of the funds entered into the consortium.
In this regard , Jorge Resqui Pizarro , a lawyer specializing in horizontal property and real estate law and president of the Center for Studies of Horizontal Property and Society (CePHyS), highlighted to Infobae that “this regulation requires administrators to update the database monthly and include all supporting documents within 15 days after the end of the period. This measure increases transparency and facilitates accountability in ordinary meetings.”
In case of non-compliance, the administrators will face sanctions according to article 16 of Law 941, which regulates and obliges the administrators of consortia in CABA, with sanctions ranging from warnings to severe fines and suspension or exclusion from the registry. The consortia owners can file a complaint with the Consumer Protection Agency, which is the enforcement authority.
Resqui Pizarro also highlighted that the regulation significantly advances access to information and transparency in the settlement of expenses. “Although its main objective is to increase transparency, it could also help consortia to identify and suggest ways to reduce expenses through a detailed analysis of expenditures and comparisons with other budgets,” she explained.
Favorable impact
“The provisions require adding a QR code to the expenses so that the consortium members can easily access the invoices and supporting documents. In addition to the AFIP link to check the status of contributions,” explained Diego Medwed , director of the Argentine Chamber of Horizontal Property and Real Estate Activities (CASIPH).Companies developed alternatives to implement this regulation without altering the usual processes and reducing the closing times of settlements. “We did it to facilitate the implementation and access to information, guaranteeing privacy without increasing the cost of our services,” explained José Murga , a businessman in the sector and member of the chamber.
The provision seeks to allow owners to quickly access receipts and the AFIP website to verify payment of the social security obligations of the person in charge. As Medwed stressed, “this is not implemented overnight. Months of transition are expected to adapt to the new paradigm and move towards the available computer tools.”
Companies in the sector continue to adapt to regulations to reduce the use of paper, confirming the validity of digital expenses
Since the pandemic, access to digital tools has been expanded for consortium members.
Pedro Dessel , founding partner of CASIPH, said that “it is difficult to imagine a consortium today without a management system to comply with regulations and access to information. Digitalisation and virtual meetings will support transparency in the management of consortia.”
Will it help reduce utility bills?
The sector warns that the sharp increases in expenses, particularly due to the increase in rates above inflation, have deteriorated the finances of the consortia , directly impacting the maintenance of the building.
The default rate in CABA is around 30% and this delay in the payment of expenses complicates the maintenance of common areas, services and facades of buildings.
Dessel expressed concern about the increase in late payments in the consortiums. “In recent years, the expenses include AySA and, in many cases, gas. Several buildings have not been able to pay these bills or the electricity bill after the increases, resorting to extraordinary expenses. The situation is serious and surpasses other crises of the last 20 years,” he said.
If used correctly, the information will allow consortia to analyze expenses, compare budgets and suggest changes to reduce costs. “The main objective of the regulation is to improve access to information and increase transparency in monthly reports, in line with Law 941, providing greater protection to the rights of consortia,” concluded Resqui Pizarro.
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