The executive ordered a new increase in taxes on liquid fuels and carbon dioxide. The measure was made official through Decree 782/2025, published at the end of October, and reiterates the policy of increases that the government had delayed for several months to contain inflation.
According to the rule, the tax burden on gasoline will increase by $15.56 per liter, and an additional $0.95 will be added to the carbon dioxide tax (IDC). For diesel, the increase in the general tax will be US$12.64 per liter, and in Patagonia and areas with differential treatment an additional rate of US$6.84 will be added, as well as another environmental tax of US$1.44 per litre.
The update attempts to offset balances due from 2024 and the first half of 2025, which were spread out over several phases.
The increase approved by the government will directly affect the final price of gasoline and diesel, although oil companies can still decide on additional increases, depending on logistics costs, exchange rates or their own profit margins.
If implemented as advertised, in the region, for example, “super” gasoline would see its price per liter increase by at least US$15.56 + US$0.95, i.e. an additional US$16.51 in taxes alone. In percentage terms, and often at current prices, this represents a direct increase that can range between 3% and 4% compared to the current litre, depending on the supplier.
In the case of YPF, for example, in La Plata Super costs about 1,550 pesos, and it will cost about 1,570 dollars. If we take into account that the average number of tanks in standard cars is about 50 liters, then filling them will cost $ 78,500.
For diesel, the impact will be somewhat smaller, although significant on the pocketbook: with an increase of at least $12.64 per liter plus the environmental surcharge.
The current system is not a one-time increase: the tax increase has been implemented in an orderly manner in stages after successive postponements. With this action, a new share of this adjustment will be completed: part of what is pending from the 2024 and 2025 quarters.
This “doubling” seeks to mitigate the direct impact on general inflation, and to divide the adjustment into several segments rather than applying it all at once. In doing so, the state postponed successive updates to the tax, which is now accumulating.
The decree making the increase official stipulates that the new amounts will apply to “taxable events” — meaning fuel sales — that take place starting December 1.
Although the tax increase has already become a reality, the final price that the consumer will pay will depend on the decisions of oil companies and variables such as logistical and transportation costs, the exchange rate, seasonal demand, and competition between brands. For this reason, some analysts expect that the final adjustment may exceed 5% in some cases, especially for diesel or in remote areas.
Moreover, the impact will not be uniform across the country: in areas with special fares or high transportation costs, the increase may be felt more intensely.
On the other hand – as the sector authorities admitted – the accumulated tax increases could generate new rounds of increases in the coming months, if the government decides to implement the rest.
The government-ordered tax adjustment increases the tax burden on fuel liquids and carbon dioxide, and passes directly through the price motorists and transport companies pay at the pump. With an increase of between $15 and $16 per liter of gasoline, plus the surcharge on diesel, the estimated real impact is between 3% and 4%, although it could be higher depending on location and fuel type.
The plan to double taxes, implemented to mitigate the inflationary impact, is showing its effects again: part of the increase deferred from 2024 has now been incorporated. But the story does not end here: if the successive tranches continue to apply, consumers could face new increases in the coming months.
The balance is clear: mobility, transfer and transportation costs will rise, which will be felt by all Argentines.