This is the big question circulating lately – for as long as we can remember, foreigners not earning income in Mexico could get by without a Mexican tax ID, known as an RFC…however, this may be changing.
New legislation has been passed that requires all Mexican citizens and lawful residents over the age of 18 to have an RFC number. The RFC is an alpha-numeric tax identification number like the Social Security number in the US. It stands for Registro Federal de Contribuyetes. I am hearing that if you have your temporary or permanent residence card, you will now be required to get an RFC number.
Don’t confuse the RFC with the CURP (Clave Unica de Registro de Poblacion). If you have residency, whether temporary or permanent, you were issued a CURP, which is just a basic population identifier. Getting an RFC number is a separate application process with SAT (Servicio de Administracion Tributaria), the Mexican equivalent to the IRS.
With the new legislation, there are lots of rumors that you cannot buy a car or open a bank account without an RFC number. In addition, a few of my clients have been contacted by local utility and internet providers (CFE and TelMex) and asked for their RFC number. That is because local service providers also have requirements to be compliant with the new legislation by June of 2022.
As with most things in Mexico, getting the RFC number is a bit of a process. In the past, people have been able to obtain an RFC number online. Currently, however, you have to physically go to a SAT office because they are taking biometric data like retina scans, photos, and fingerprints. There is a long line of individuals (and companies) trying to get compliant before June and from my experience, Mexico does not deal well with long lines. The best thing you can do is take a deep breath, go online and get in the “virtual queue”, and then take another deep breath. I have clients who have been “in line” for the Cabo San Lucas SAT office since January. I have heard that the La Paz virtual line is a little better.
While you are taking deep breaths, please remember that these types of procedural changes take time to enact, especially in Mexico. I don’t see any reason to panic that your utilities will be turned off if you do not have your RFC by June 1st. I think mainly, the new legislation is to try to prevent money laundering, not to turn off your electricity. From my knowledge and experience with how things work here, this program will take a long time to get off the ground. Should you apply for an RFC number if you are a lawful resident over the age of 18? Yes. Should you panic? No.
The link to get an appointment is below. Unless you are applying for a business RFC, you will select Personas Fisicas as your classification. Here are the basic steps. The website is in Spanish so hopefully these prompts will help. If you have someone who speaks Spanish with you, it will make things easier.
- Registrar Cita
- Inscripcion al padron de contribuyentes Personas Fisicas
- Enter your CURP (should be on your residence card), complete name, email address, and confirm your email address
- Accept terms/conditions
- Prove you are not a robot
- Siguiente
- Services: Inscripcion en el RFC de Personas Fisicas
- Entidad Federativa: Choose your area office (Baja California Sur)
- Modulo: Choose your office
- Get in the Virtual Line (Fila Virtual)
- You will get a token sent to your email. Cut and paste it there.
When you finally get notified that you have an appointment, make sure you take all your standard identification documents like your passport, CURP number, Resident Card, and a FLASH DRIVE. That’s right, you must take a flash drive with you so they can download all the important information for you there.
One final note. I have not seen the exact legislation. Very few people have. We are all hearing rumblings and rumors, but it is best to just try to understand the basic idea and move forward in the right direction. I am by no means an expert on money laundering laws or Mexican legislation. For the most reliable information, contact SAT.
