In this guide
To choose a business adviser in Itauguá, start with what you need sorted: tax and invoicing for a shop on Route PY02, setting up a company, or formalising a ñandutí lace workshop so you can sell at craft fairs. Ask two advisers for a written proposal with scope, deadlines and fees, and pick the one who answers clearly. If you are an artisan, some steps cost nothing: registration with the Instituto Paraguayo de Artesanía (IPA) is free, and a standard EAS company can be set up online at no cost.
What advice does an Itauguá business need?
Itauguá sits about 30 km from Asunción, with Route PY02 running through it as the commercial spine (Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)). Local businesses typically need:
- Accounting and tax: returns, books and electronic invoicing. Your adviser should know Marangatú and the invoicing system of the DNIT (opens in a new tab), the tax authority.
- Formalising a craft workshop: IPA fairs ask for current registration and, at general fairs, a legal invoice and a payment method other than cash (see below). An adviser can sort out your RUC (tax number) and invoicing.
- Setting up a company: worth paying for with several partners or contributions in kind; if it's simple, you can do it yourself.
- Employment and legal matters: contracts, debt collection, claims. To go to court you need a lawyer registered with the Supreme Court.
If you're an artisan: IPA registration and fairs
Itauguá is Paraguay's ñandutí town, and weavers have their own path to formalisation:
- Craft Register: run by the IPA; under Law 2448/04 (opens in a new tab) (art. 14), registration is certified free of charge. In 2024, 1,274 artisans joined the national register, 76% of them women (La Nación (opens in a new tab)).
- IPA fairs: the basic requirement is current registration as an artisan, craft business or association, plus a request letter on the IPA template, delivered in person or by email. General fairs also ask for a legal invoice, at least one payment method besides cash and active social media (ABC Color, April 2025 (opens in a new tab)).
- Municipal card: in 2023 the Itauguá municipal tourism office, with the IPA, gave cards to 14 artisans, mostly ñandutí weavers, granting access to fairs and sales spaces (ABC Color (opens in a new tab)). Ask at the Municipalidad whether a new round is planned.
If you want to sell at those fairs, the adviser's job is concrete: get your RUC, issue invoices and set up QR or bank-transfer payments.
Do you need an adviser to open an EAS?
Not always. According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade (opens in a new tab), the EAS is registered online at eas.mic.gov.py; with standard by-laws it takes at most 72 hours and costs nothing, with no minimum capital, and the legal representative must be Paraguayan or hold a Paraguayan cédula. For the commercial licence, the Municipalidad de Itauguá is at Defensores del Chaco 170 between Caballero Álvarez and Tte. Adolfo Martínez (opens in a new tab), open Monday to Friday 7:00-13:00 and Saturday 7:00-12:00.
Free small-business support
SBDC San Lorenzo, a Ministry of Industry and Trade programme run by the Unión Industrial Paraguaya, offers technical assistance and training (UIP (opens in a new tab)). In 2025 its workshops ran on Thursdays 14:00-16:00 at Ceprocal-UPA, Lope de Vega and San Antonio, free, with registration on (0976) 911-198 (Última Hora (opens in a new tab)). From Itauguá, head toward Asunción on PY02; confirm the schedule before going.
What to check before hiring
- An invoice for every payment: every sale of goods and services needs one (Sedeco via ABC Color (opens in a new tab)). Ask for the adviser's RUC.
- Not barred: check they are not on the DNIT lists of barred businesses or taxpayers in arrears (DNIT (opens in a new tab)).
- Scope in writing: what they deliver, by when, and what costs extra.
- Deadlines: ask how they remind you of due dates; in accounting that matters most.
- First chat by video call: save in-person meetings for signing papers and avoid losing a morning in PY02 traffic. Compare with remote advisers in San Lorenzo or Asunción too.
If you also want to sell ñandutí to visitors, our Itauguá tourism guide covers where workshops cluster and when the festival runs.
FAQ
How much does IPA artisan registration cost?
Nothing: Law 2448/04 says the IPA certifies registration in the Craft Register free of charge.
What do I need to sell at IPA craft fairs?
Current IPA registration and a request letter on its template. General fairs also require a legal invoice, a payment method besides cash and active social media (April 2025 requirements).
Do I need an adviser to open a company in Itauguá?
Not always. An EAS with standard by-laws can be set up online at eas.mic.gov.py within 72 hours at no cost; an adviser helps with several partners or custom by-laws.
Is there free small-business advice near Itauguá?
Yes, SBDC San Lorenzo (Ministry of Industry and Trade with UIP) offers free assistance and workshops; in 2025 they ran on Thursdays 14:00-16:00, registration on (0976) 911-198.
