SAT Fines for Skipping RFC Registration Reach 13 Thousand Pesos
SAT fines for skipping RFC registration run from 4 thousand to 13 thousand pesos. What the rules require, who must register and how to update your tax record.
Mexico’s Tax Administration Service (SAT) is warning that people who never sign up for the Federal Taxpayer Registry (RFC), or who register late, can be fined between 4 thousand 480 and 13 thousand 430 pesos, El Informador reported. A separate fine applies to taxpayers who fail to report changes to their tax situation.
The Taxpayer Defense Office (Prodecon) points out that the second penalty often catches people after ordinary life changes: moving to a new address, switching tax regime or starting a new line of work.
Who has to be in the RFC
Under the Federal Tax Code (CFF), anyone who earns income from an economic activity, or who needs to issue invoices (facturas), must register with the tax authority. That covers freelancers and small business owners as well as salaried workers.
Since 2022 the law has also required young people to register once they turn 18, even if they have no formal income or steady job. Registering at that age does not create tax duties right away. Students sign up as individuals with no tax obligations, so they cannot be fined for failing to file.
What it means for people already earning money
For people who are economically active, the picture is different. Failing to request RFC registration, or requesting it after the legal deadline, carries the main fine of up to 13 thousand 430 pesos, according to the report.
The second penalty targets missed update notices. Taxpayers who do not report changes when the authority asks for them can be fined between 5 thousand 400 and 10 thousand 780 pesos. Article 27 of the CFF says any change in a person’s tax situation must be reported to SAT within 10 business days.
For foreign residents who work or invoice in Mexico, the same rules apply once they are in the registry. Readers unsure whether SAT treats them as residents can check our guide to when SAT taxes a foreigner’s income.
How the update works
The update notice is free. It requires your CURP (the Unique Population Registry Code, Mexico’s personal ID number) and an active e.firma, the electronic signature SAT issues.
An expired e.firma blocks the process. If it expired less than a year ago, it can be renewed online through the SAT ID platform; if it has been expired longer, renewal requires an in-person appointment.
Once the notice goes through, the SAT portal issues a receipt of changes (acuse de movimientos) with a folio number and date. El Informador suggests downloading a new tax status certificate (constancia de situación fiscal) afterward to confirm that the system recorded the change.
Source: El Informador
