Tourist Tax Refund

The Mexican government has initiated a program to refund tourists for the tax they pay on products purchased during their visit to Mexico. The program is presently only available at a few airports, but in the future it will be expanded to cover all international air and sea departure points.

There are some factors to consider when deciding whether or not you should apply for a tax refund. Claiming a tax refund can be a huge hassle: you need to be meticulous about keeping your receipts (and only some will apply), you need to visit one of the tax refund booths at the airport on the day of your departure - keep in mind that they're only open certain hours (generally 9 am to 6 pm), and the process can be time-consuming; and you need to have the goods for which you're claiming the tax refund with you so that they can verify that you're taking them out of the country. Also, keep in mind that the companies that were hired by the government to implement the tax refund program charge a fee (YVESAM charges 35% commission, according to their Web Site).

The advantages of claiming your tourist tax refund? Cold hard cash in your hand that very day: 50% of the refund (up to 10 000 pesos) is paid in cash on the spot, and the rest is deposited in your bank account through an electronic transfer within 40 days. If you've made a lot of purchases, it may well be worth jumping through all those hoops.

Find out if you're eligible for a tax refund, and how to go about making a claim. Read Tax Refunds for Tourists to Mexico.