The Mexican Servicio de Administración Tributaria (SAT) reported a massive surge in fiscal compliance as the 2025 annual tax declaration season began. In a single day, 599,035 taxpayers filed their returns, contributing to a total of 2,124,023 declarations submitted by April 5.
This rapid adoption of digital channels has allowed the SAT to authorize more than 2.179 billion pesos in refunds, benefiting over 608,000 taxpayers. While the Mexican Código Fiscal de la Federación allows a legal window of up to 40 business days for refunds, current processing times are averaging three days.
According to Gari Flores Hernández, administrator central of collection at the SAT, the average time for automatic returns is approximately 4.5 days when taxpayers accept the agency's precargada (precargada) or pre-filled information without modifications. This discrepancy between the three-day and 4.5-day figures reflects the variations in processing speeds depending on the complexity of the filing.
The digitalization of the system has reduced the need for manual reviews, as the platform automatically validates income, deductions, and withholdings. The SAT expects to process more than 11.4 million declarations this year, an increase of nearly 3% compared to the previous cycle.
Navigating the digital filing process
Despite the efficiency gains, the SAT warns that errors in data entry can stall the process. A correctly captured CLABE interbancaria is mandatory for the transfer of funds. Furthermore, taxpayers filing for larger amounts must use an e.firma, while those with smaller balances may use a standard password.
The SAT has launched a simulator for the 2025 declaration to allow users to review precargada data, including income, deductions, and bonuses, before finalized submission. Specialists at the Instituto Mexicano de Contadores Públicos have advised taxpayers to avoid the end-of-month crunch, specifically between April 27 and April 30, to circumvent potential system congestion.
Taxpayers can monitor the status of their returns through the SAT portal by navigating to the "devoluciones y compensaciones" section and accessing their Buzón Tributario. If the system rejects a return, the agency allows corrections to be submitted via the Formato Electrónico de Devoluciones (FED), though this action restarts the waiting period.
The agency maintains that the portal is available 24 hours a day throughout April, but high traffic volumes remain a technical challenge. Officials reiterate that the primary cause for rejection remains inconsistencies in tax data, such as omitted income or invalid deductions, which require manual correction by the taxpayer.
