Guatemala SAT Vehicle Sticker Late Penalty 2026: Exact Calculation + How to Save 75%

Written by the Guatemala Life team, based in Guatemala City.

A late SAT calcomanía triggers a sanctions mechanism that MOST Guatemalans pay in full without knowing a 75% discount exists. The base penalty is 100% of the omitted ISCV (Tax Code art. 89), but article 88 of the same code provides a concrete exit: if you pay VOLUNTARILY before SAT formally notifies you, 75% of that omission penalty disappears. In a typical case, the difference is hundreds of quetzales.

UPDATE — August 12, 2026: Decreto 19-2026 is IN FORCE — deadline extended to December 31

On July 29, 2026 Congress approved Decreto 19-2026 under urgencia nacional, in a single debate: the 2026 ISCV deadline moves from July 31 to December 31, 2026, and fines, surcharges and interest are waived for missing the original window. Vote: 130 in favour, 3 against, 27 absent.

The decree was sanctioned and published in the Diario de Centro América and is in force since August 12, 2026. Surcharges accrued between August 1 and the entry into force were waived.

Translated into decisions:

• If you have not paid yet: you have until December 31, 2026 to pay with no fines, surcharges or interest.
• If Agencia Virtual charged you surcharges between August 1 and August 12: they were waived; check that the SAT-2000 slip no longer includes them before paying.
• If SAT notified you of a penalty for the ordinary 2026 window: the decree waives fines, surcharges and interest for that period. Keep proof of the dates.

Sources: Decreto 19-2026 — Congreso de la República via AGN (Jul 29, 2026) · Prensa Libre — the six key points (Jul 29, 2026) · Infobae — in force August 12 (Aug 12, 2026).

In short: The ordinary 2026 sticker deadline is July 31. After that: penalty = 100% of the omitted ISCV (Tax Code art. 89) + 0.0005 per day of late payment (art. 92). Key: 75% DISCOUNT if you pay VOLUNTARILY before SAT notifies you (art. 88). Example: Hilux 2018 (ISCV Q450) 60 days unpaid: extra Q463.50, with discount Q126.00. But note: Decreto 19-2026 (in force since August 12, 2026) extends the deadline to December 31 and waives these penalties — for the 2026 ISCV this math only applies if the new deadline also passes unpaid.

Calculations verified against the Código Tributario (Decreto 6-91), SAT’s Tasas e Intereses table, and Prensa Libre’s worked examples; rates in force as of July 24, 2026.

Official 2026 Window — January 1 to July 31

Article 29 literal a of Decreto 70-94 (ISCV Law) sets the payment window between January 1 and July 31 each year. For 2026 that means:

• No penalty: from January 1 to July 31, 2026 (11:59 PM, Guatemala time).
• With penalty: from August 1, 2026 onward.

Live exception (Decreto 19-2026): on July 29, 2026 Congress approved extending this window to December 31, 2026 and waiving fines, surcharges and interest. That decree is in force since August 12, 2026 (published in the Diario de Centro América). Everything calculated on this page describes the ordinary rule — it does not apply to the 2026 ISCV while the new deadline runs, and returns if December 31, 2026 passes unpaid.

Starting August 1, SAT’s Agencia Virtual automatically activates the Tax Code sanctions on the SAT-2000 slip generated. There is no “grace period” — day 1 counts as a day in default.

How the Penalty Is Calculated (Official Formula)

The total sanction has two components running in parallel from day 1 in default, plus a discount that only applies if you pay before the notification.

Component 1: Omission penalty (100%)

Legal basis: Tax Code art. 89.

Formula: Omission penalty = unpaid ISCV × 100%

This is a FIXED amount. It does not grow over time. If your ISCV was Q450, the omission penalty is Q450 from day 1 in default until you pay.

Component 2: Daily mora (factor 0.0005)

Legal basis: Tax Code art. 92.

Formula: Mora = ISCV × 0.0005 × days late

The 0.0005 daily factor equals 18% per year. For a Q450 ISCV with 60 days late:

Q450 × 0.0005 × 60 = Q13.50

On SAT’s “interés resarcitorio”: SAT publishes a separate interés resarcitorio rate — currently 12.97% annual, vigente since July 16, 2026 (up from 12.88% in January–July 2026) — in its Tasas e Intereses table. That rate governs other tax-collection scenarios; the Declaraguate late-payment total for the sticker is multa + daily mora as shown here, which the SAT-2000 slip computes automatically.

Raw total

Raw total = Omission penalty + Mora

For the example: Q450 + Q13.50 = Q463.50

Component 3: Voluntary-payment discount (-75%)

If you pay before SAT notifies you (Tax Code art. 88), 75% of the multa is discounted:

Total with discount = (Multa × 0.25) + Mora

For the example: (Q450 × 0.25) + Q13.50 = Q112.50 + Q13.50 = Q126.00

Note: the 75% discount in art. 88 applies to the multa only, not to the mora. The mora keeps running until the day of payment.

Worked Example — Toyota Hilux 2018, ISCV Q450, 60 days late

We use the official example SAT publishes in the 2026 table (Hilux 2018 with taxable value Q180,000 → annual ISCV approximately Q450). We assume payment on September 30, 2026 (60 days after July 31).

On top of the original ISCV (Q450), the taxpayer pays:

• Total with voluntary-payment discount: Q450 + Q126.00 = Q576.00
• Total if you wait for SAT to notify: Q450 + Q463.50 = Q913.50
• Net saving for paying voluntarily: Q337.50

A second worked case (Prensa Libre)

Prensa Libre published its own worked example that matches this model exactly: an ISCV of Q150 paid 30 days late.

The 75% Discount — Voluntary Payment (Tax Code Art. 88)

This is the lever most taxpayers do not exploit, and the single largest saving available:

Key condition: you pay BEFORE being formally notified by SAT. “Notification” means a physical letter, a citation, an email to the NIT-registered address, or a notice in the Agencia Virtual notifications tray indicating an open collection process against the vehicle.

Mechanism in Agencia Virtual:

1. Log into agenciavirtual.sat.gob.gt with NIT + password.
2. Go to Vehicle Lookup → select the vehicle with pending ISCV.
3. Choose regularize / generate slip.
4. The system calculates the penalty with the discount applied automatically (if you qualify).
5. Pay the SAT-2000 slip at an authorized bank or via online banking.
6. Wait 24-48 business hours for the payment to be linked.
7. Print the sticker from the printing portal.

What makes you lose the discount:

• Receiving an SAT notification through any official channel (registered email, Agencia Virtual, physical letter).
• The collection enters the fiscalization or administrative-procedure phase.
• Payment-plan agreements (in some cases) — the discount applies to direct payment. CONFIRM 2026 operational details.

Estimated Penalty Table by Vehicle Type

Calculations with the official formula (art. 89 + 92), rounded to the nearest quetzal. Assumes voluntary payment with the 75% discount applied on the omission penalty.

Reference calculations. The exact amount in your case depends on the specific ISCV of your vehicle (check in Agencia Virtual) and the exact days elapsed until payment. If you do NOT qualify for the 75% discount, add 0.75 × your base ISCV to each figure (you pay the full 100% multa instead of 25%).

Can They Impound My Vehicle?

Distinguishing between an SAT action (tax authority) and a PMT/PNC action (traffic authority) is key:

SAT, for ISCV debt, normally does NOT impound vehicles. The standard procedure is:

1. Official notification to the taxpayer’s registered email or domicile.
2. If no payment, formal administrative requirement.
3. Compulsory economic proceeding (judicial route) for collection.
4. Possible bank-account garnishment (not the vehicle in the first instance).
5. Administrative blocks (license, transfer, exit from the country).

PMT/PNC, for incomplete documentation at a checkpoint, CAN impound the vehicle. That includes:

• Expired or unproduced circulation card.
• Visibly expired sticker (when verification is possible).
• Other Traffic-Regulation infractions.

Recovering an impounded vehicle from the municipal lot requires paying: traffic fine + tow service + daily storage. For Guatemala City cars the typical total recovery cost starts at several thousand quetzales depending on days.

CONFIRM: specific 2026 operational policy of PMT Guatemala City and national PNC regarding impoundment for an expired sticker. Since the February 2025 Traffic-Law reform, the requirement to physically carry the sticker may have changed.

SAT Penalty vs Traffic Fine — Do Not Confuse Them

This is one of the most confusing points for anyone who receives BOTH from the same event:

BOTH can arrive from the same checkpoint: PMT stops the vehicle and applies the traffic fine for documentation; in parallel SAT registers the ISCV tax debt (which SAT already knew about since August 1). They are parallel processes. Check traffic fines online at /tramites/transito-traffic-fines-lookup/.

Special Cases

Vehicles not used during the year:

The ISCV is a tax on registry inscription, not on use. If the vehicle is inscribed in the Tax Vehicle Registry, it pays ISCV even if it sat parked all year. The only legal way not to pay is to cancel the inscription with SAT — a formal vehicle deregistration procedure.

Vehicle being sold without paid ISCV:

You cannot transfer a vehicle with a late ISCV. The buyer will demand the vehicle’s tax solvency before signing. Whoever sells with an expired sticker must regularize first or discount the owed amount from the agreed price.

Totaled / total-loss vehicle:

CONFIRM: the procedure to stop the tax obligation on a totaled vehicle declared a total loss requires notifying SAT with the insurance ruling and completing the deregistration in the Tax Vehicle Registry. While the deregistration is not processed, the ISCV keeps running and generating penalties.

Payment Plan / Convenio de Pago

CONFIRM: the Tax Code contemplates payment-plan agreements for tax debts under certain conditions, with terms that historically have extended up to 12 months depending on the amount owed and the taxpayer’s history. For the specific ISCV + penalty case:

• The 75% discount in art. 88 is designed for direct voluntary payment. Its application within a payment plan is not automatic and depends on the modality approved by SAT.
• For large debts (luxury vehicles with several late years), the payment plan can be the only practical alternative.
• The payment-plan request is filed at a physical SAT office or by calling 1550, with NIT, list of debts and a proposed payment schedule.

For individual cases, we recommend confirming the 2026 procedure directly with SAT before generating the slip.

Official Links

• Agencia Virtual SAT: https://agenciavirtual.sat.gob.gt
• Declaraguate (SAT-2000 slip): https://declaraguate.sat.gob.gt
• SAT portal — Sticker printing: https://portal.sat.gob.gt/portal/impresion-calcomania/
• Vehicle tables and resolutions: https://portal.sat.gob.gt/portal/tablas-y-acuerdos-vehiculos/
• SAT — Tasas e Intereses (interés resarcitorio 12.97% + mora): https://portal.sat.gob.gt/portal/tasas-e-intereses/
• Prensa Libre — how the ISCV penalty is calculated (worked examples): prensalibre.com
• SAT call center: 1550

Related Guides

• SAT vehicle sticker 2026: how to print and affix it — main sticker guide.
• Lost or stolen SAT sticker: step-by-step replacement — what to do if damaged, lost or stolen.
• Check traffic fines online (EMETRA/PMT) — traffic fines are distinct from SAT penalties.
• Declaraguate SAT — SAT-2000 slip — how to generate and pay the slip.