This coming weekend, the 14th and 15th of September 2024, is a long weekend for the Independence Day Celebrations.
Both the 14th (Battle of San Jacinto in 1856) and 15th of September (the independence of Nicaragua from Spain in 1821) are Statutory Holidays (Feriados).
What is a little different this year is that the 15th of September falls on a Sunday, the standard day of rest in Nicaragua known as “The Seventh Day”. Therefore, according to the Labor Code of Nicaragua, the Feriado for Sunday moves to the next day, Monday 16th of September 2024. Click on this link for the Official Ministry of Labor announcement.
Trivia: Nicaragua shares its Independence Day with four other Central American Countries; Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Costa Rica. Panama celebrates their actual Independence Day on November 28th and Belize on September 21st. Together they make up the seven countries of Central America.
State Workers
All state and municipal workers will receive paid vacation days from the end of the working day on Friday 13th of September 2024 and will return to work on Monday 23rd of September 2024.
Banking: The Independence Day celebrations will mean that you need to get your banking done by the end of Friday the 13th or wait until next Tuesday 17th!
IVA Exemption
The “National Fair of IVA Exemptions” will run for the period of September 13th to 22nd inclusive. During this time, certain businesses in the food, beverage and lodging sectors will be exempt from having to collect the 15% IVA (a value added tax comparable to the GST in Canada and VAT in the UK).
Pre-Registration is required and businesses are encouraged to go online to the DGI website and enter the Electronic Tax Window (VET), locate the “Fiestas Patrias” icon and choose one of the three options that will automatically appear. Click on this El 19 link for more information.
The IVA exemption campaign has been a fixture of the Nicaraguan Independence Days since its inception for the Bicentennial Independence holidays in 2021. The idea is to promote tourism and get more Nicaraguan families out enjoying the patriotic events around the country.
