You’ve seen the long lines at the banks in May. People look happy, mostly. They are waiting for their step by step reparto, or more formally, the Participación de los Trabajadores en las Utilidades. In Peru, this isn't just a "nice to have" bonus. It’s a constitutional right. If you’re a business owner or a frustrated HR manager, you know that calculating this is basically a yearly headache that keeps you up at night.
Honestly, the law is simple on paper but a nightmare in practice. If your company has more than 20 employees and generates a third-category income, you're in the game. But the math? That’s where things get messy.
The Reality of the Step by Step Reparto Calculation
Most people think you just take a percentage of the profit and hand it out. I wish. First, you have to look at the industry. Fishing companies, telecommunications, and industrial firms usually shell out 10%. Mining and wholesale/retail are at 8%, while others sit at 5%.
Here is the kicker: the total amount is split into two equal piles.
The first 50% is distributed based on the actual days you worked. It doesn't matter if you're the CEO or the person keeping the office clean; if you both worked 240 days, you get the same slice of this specific pie. The other 50% is where it gets hierarchical. This half is distributed based on your total earnings for the year. This is where the tension usually starts in the breakroom.
Why the "Worked Days" Definition Trips Everyone Up
You’d think "days worked" means days you were physically there. Nope. Peruvian law, specifically Legislative Decree 892, is very specific about what counts as a worked day even if the employee was absent.
- Pre-and post-natal leave counts.
- Work-related accidents or illnesses.
- Union leaves (under certain caps).
If you miss these, you’re looking at a SUNAFIL audit. Trust me, you do not want a SUNAFIL auditor breathing down your neck because you forgot to count a maternity leave as worked days for profit sharing. They are incredibly thorough.
The Step by Step Reparto Process: Timing is Everything
Timing isn't just a suggestion here. You have a 30-day window after the company files its annual Income Tax Return (Declaración Jurada Anual del Impuesto a la Renta).
Since the SUNAT calendar usually rolls out between March and April, most payouts happen in late April or May. If you pay late? Interest starts ticking. And employees know their rights. They talk. They compare. In 2024 and 2025, we saw an uptick in labor complaints simply because companies were sluggish with their accounting.
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What Happens if There is "Excedente"?
There is a ceiling. No individual employee can receive more than 18 monthly salaries.
What happens to the leftover cash? It goes to the Fondo de Empleo. It doesn't stay in the company's pocket, which is a common misconception among new entrepreneurs. You can't just "save" the extra profit. It has to leave the building.
The Documentary Trail You Cannot Ignore
It’s not enough to just wire the money. You need the Liquidación. This is a document that explains exactly how you got to that number. It has to show the total profit of the company, the number of days the employee worked, and their total remuneration.
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If an employee leaves before the payout, they are still entitled to their share. They have four years to claim it before it prescribes. I've seen companies forget about former employees, only to get hit with a legal claim three years later plus interest. Keep your records clean.
Real-World Nuances: The Impact of Remote Work
The shift to hybrid and remote work since 2020 has slightly complicated the "days worked" metric for some, but generally, the law treats a remote day exactly like an office day. The bigger issue is for companies with multiple branches or those undergoing mergers. If the company structure changes mid-year, the calculation for the step by step reparto needs to be pro-rated carefully.
Moving Forward With Your Distribution
Stop using basic spreadsheets if you have more than 50 people. It’s too risky. The margin for error when calculating "computable remuneration" (which includes overtime and bonuses but excludes things like "movilidad" or "vales de alimentos") is too high for manual entry.
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Actionable Steps for This Quarter:
- Audit your "Days Worked" records now. Ensure your HR system correctly flags maternity leave, work-accident leave, and union leave as "days worked" for utility purposes.
- Verify your industry category. If your company has diversified—say, a mining company that now does a lot of transport—double-check if your 8% or 10% rate is still legally accurate based on your primary income source registered with SUNAT.
- Draft the Liquidación template early. Don't wait until the day of payment to figure out how to present the math to your staff. Transparency reduces friction.
- Budget for the "Excedente." If you've had a record-breaking year, calculate early if anyone will hit the 18-salary cap so you can prepare the transfer to the Fondo de Empleo without surprises.