In its RUC frequently asked questions, DGI specifies that a company entered in Panama's public registry must also register with the tax administration, even if it has neither income nor expenditure in Panama. It links this obligation, in particular, to annual payment of the Tasa Única.
We note that registration must be distinguished from the existence of taxable profit. An absence of local income does not make the company nonexistent for tax formalities; conversely, registration does not establish that all its income would be taxable in Panama.
For a director, examination starts with the company's legal position and the obligations recorded in its tax file. An absence of invoicing may reflect interrupted activity without completion of cessation formalities. It is useful to reconcile corporate decisions, steps actually filed and their administrative processing. The RUC question remains separate from the territoriality of income; DGI's answer does not resolve all tax consequences of inactivity.
Where a company stops trading while retaining its legal existence, DGI describes a final-return and cessation procedure, accompanied by steps concerning its registered obligations. Inactivity, declared cessation and dissolution must therefore be distinguished, rather than indiscriminately discontinuing every formality.