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Caputo Slams Pilar’s New 2% Checkout Tax as Supermarkets Push for Delay

The ordinance shifts a fixed environmental fee to a 2% levy collected at the register by large retailers.

Overview

  • Pilar’s Ordinance N°112/25 took effect on December 1, setting the Environmental Protection Tax at 2% of each sale net of VAT and requiring the charge to appear on every receipt.
  • Supermarkets, wholesalers and shopping centers were named collection agents, with companies given until December 15 to reconfigure billing systems.
  • Trade groups including CADAM say the cost will be passed to shoppers, noting the levy has no minimum threshold and will make purchases in Pilar about 2% pricier than in other districts.
  • Economy Minister Luis Caputo criticized the measure on X and escalated his message over the weekend, calling Mayor Federico Achával a scammer and urging consumers to buy elsewhere.
  • The supermarket association ASU requested an urgent meeting and asked to postpone enforcement until March 1, 2026, as the Pilar move follows broader local tax hikes and recent legal challenges in places like Lanús.