The Mexican Tax Administration Service (SAT) has initiated the 2025 annual declaration period, requiring millions of individuals to report their earnings or face stringent financial penalties. Taxpayers are encouraged to access the official portal at https://www.sat.gob.mx/portal/public/tramites-y-servicios to fulfill their obligations.
Mandatory filing applies to individuals across several categories. This includes those earning income from professional services, business activities—including tech platforms—and those receiving income from property rentals, interest, dividends, or the sale of assets.
Salaried employees are also required to declare if they worked for more than one employer during the year, terminated their employment before December 31, or earned more than 400,000 pesos annually. Those receiving income from abroad or from entities that do not perform tax withholdings must also comply.
Maximizing deductions and avoiding penalties
Taxpayers can reduce their taxable base through specific personal deductions, provided they use authorized payment methods like transfers, cards, or checks. Valid expenses include medical and hospital costs, such as doctor fees, psychological services, dental treatments, and medical equipment.
Educational expenses are also deductible, with limits depending on the academic level. Additionally, individuals may claim premiums for major medical insurance, capped at 41,274 pesos for the 2025 cycle, and interest on mortgages from institutions like Infonavit or Fovissste. Optical lenses are deductible up to 2,500 pesos.
Total deductions cannot exceed the lesser of five annual UMA units or 15% of the taxpayer's total income. All claims must be supported by correct CFDI invoices.
The SAT has outlined clear consequences for failing to declare. Under the Federal Fiscal Code, fines range from 2,050 to 25,360 pesos for each unfulfilled obligation. Authorities may demand compliance up to three times, providing a 15-day window between each request.
Inconsistencies often lead to the rejection of a declaration. Common triggers for rejection include the omission of income, invalid deductions, or incorrect CLABE account information provided for the tax refund.
If the SAT rejects a filing, the taxpayer must submit a supplementary declaration to address the errors. For those whose returns are approved, the timeline for receiving a tax refund varies. As reported by the SAT, simple cases for salaried employees may be processed in approximately five business days. General cases for automatic refunds typically take 12 business days, while manual requests can extend to 40 business days.
