Puerto Vallarta, Mexico – The 2022 Tax Reform requires all Mexican citizens and legal residents aged 18 or over to have a Registro Federal de Contribuyentes (Federal taxpayer registration, commonly referred to as an ‘RFC’), as of July 1, 2022. If you have a Temporary or Permanent resident card, or a CURP, you must get an RFC, which is similar to a Social Security number in the U.S., and required whether or not you earn income in Mexico.
Once you have an RFC number, you must also obtain a document called Constancia de Situación Fiscal (Proof of Fiscal/Tax Situation), which will soon be needed to contract electric, water, cable and Internet services, among others.
The RFC number and the Constancia de Situación Fiscal are used by the Mexican government to track income and potential money laundering among many other things. Without an RFC number on your CFE bill, you won’t be able to sell your house. You will also need an RFC to open a bank account or buy a car.
Applying for a RFC number must be done in person at the nearest Sistema de Administración Tributaria (SAT) office. But you must first make an appointment online via the agency’s online portal, and choosing the option for an individual taxpayer (persona física).
On the day of your appointment, you will need to take the following to the SAT office:
• Valid passport and a copy of the portrait page(s)
• Valid Mexico residency card (temporary or permanent)
• Comprobante de domicilio (Proof of address such as a bank statement, electricity bill or rental contract)
• Printout of your CURP, which can be downloaded HERE.
• USB thumbdrive that will be used to download/save your firma digital It is important not to forget this!
• You must bring a printed copy of all of the documents listed above.
During the application process, SAT will collect biometric data from applicants, including facial photographs and fingerprints. There is no cost involved in applying for an RFC number and, if you show up prepared, the application process in a SAT office shouldn’t take longer than 40 minutes.
For the Constancia de Situación Fiscal, you can complete the process online, but you must have a RFC number before you can fill out the form.
The process may sound complicated, but Qroo Paul has helpful videos that walk you through the process of applying for both a RFC (including how to make your appointment online) and the Constancia de Situación Fiscal on his Two Expats in Mexico YouTube channel.
Sources: Semanario Laguna/Lakeside News • Two Expats Mexico