Doing Business 229Value Added Tax or IVA is 19 per cent in Chile and is already
included in published prices (with the exception of capital
goods and intermediary goods, where price is expressed as
$ + IVA). By paying with US dollars, travellers cheques or a
non-Chilean credit card a foreigner can avoid the hefty IVA
charge at most hotels in Chile. Keep this in mind at check-
out time.
Volunteer Work
For those who wish to do volunteer work in Chile, there are
plenty of people and organisations that could use your help
and volunteering is fairly easy. You can work with children,
youth, women, the disabled or the aged. The best place to start
is the website http://www.fundacionsoles.cl which provides
a long list of charities and along with contact information,
provides a short description of each. This foundation also
publishes the Guía Solidaria, a good source for those who
want to do something positive with their extra time.