Notary

Are you planning to buy real estate in Curaçao, such as a house, apartment, villa, or a plot of land? Then it is important to know which additional costs you should take into account. You will often come across the term “buyer’s costs” (in Dutch: kosten koper). This means that the transfer tax, notary fees, and Land Registry fees are for the account of the buyer. In this article, we assume standard transactions between...

In another article on our website, we discuss inheritance and gift tax in Curaçao. In this article, we explain who is entitled to what in an estate when the deceased (the testator) was resident in Curaçao. To keep things clear, we do not address situations such as half-siblings, stepchildren, foster children, and other special cases.Inheritance and...

Gift and Inheritance Tax (Estate Tax) in CuraçaoHas someone in your family passed away? And are you receiving an inheritance under a will or under the inheritance laws of Curaçao? Or is someone giving you a substantial gift? If so, you may have to pay tax on what you receive. Inheritance tax and gift tax are jointly referred to as estate and gift tax "successiebelasting".Curaçao has had...

Amount of buyer’s costs in Curaçao When you buy a property, in most cases you negotiate the asking price. Eventually, you arrive at a purchase price: the price at which the property is sold. Unfortunately, there are almost always additional costs when buying a home. Behind the asking price, you often see “k.k.”, meaning “buyer’s costs”. Almost all homes in Curaçao are sold on a “buyer’s costs” basis...

The buyer of a house or lot chooses a notary to draw up the deed of transfer (and possibly the mortgage deed). The buyer chooses the notary because they pay these costs, unless the property is sold “Vrij Op Naam” or there is a project notary. Notary fees in Curaçao are determined by the Joint Court of Justice and are the same for all notaries on...