La Silla Rota: Tax Debts for Companies and Individuals Continue to Rise in 2026

Tax credits in Mexico reached 3.18 trillion pesos at the close of the first quarter of 2026, representing an annual increase of 8.74%. Pedro Canabal, partner at the Mexican Institute of Foreign Trade Executives, stated that the challenge for the tax authority is to achieve effective collection.

Taxpayers in Mexico continue to increase their debts with the treasury. According to information from the Ministry of Finance and Public Credit (SHCP), as of the first quarter of 2026, the balance of tax credits stands at 3 trillion 186 billion 540 million pesos.

In the same period of 2025, the registry reported by the Tax Administration Service (SAT) was 2 trillion 930 billion 311 million pesos. In one year, taxpayer liabilities saw an increase of 8.74%.

Pedro Canabal, partner at the Mexican Institute of Foreign Trade Executives (IMECE), noted that a tax credit can expire in five years. This period can only be extended if the SAT executes a collection action before the five-year mark, which interrupts the statute of limitations.

A More Active SAT

Canabal commented that the increase in tax credits may reflect a more active tax authority, equipped with better and more advanced technological tools that allow for greater effectiveness in auditing and collection.

"They have more capacity to detect discrepancies between income and payments, but there is no doubt that the data reveals a significant challenge in ensuring these tax credits become effective collections," he stated.

The specialist added that the key is to view the portfolio through various lenses, such as firm credits, controversial credits, and low-probability collection credits, whether due to cost-inefficiency, uncollectibility, or other legal mechanisms that may impede recovery.

"Credit recovery depends on the legal soundness of the acts regarding the audit actions that originated them, the taxpayer's economic capacity, the quality of the SAT's collection actions, and the time it takes for courts to resolve defense motions for contested credits," he explained.

The Challenge

The also Legal and Foreign Trade Partner at Baker Tilly added that the challenge for the SAT is structural: transforming tax credits into effective revenue.

"Efficiency is not only measured by how many credits you impose or how many fines you determine, but how much is effectively and legally collected. How much of this is won in court and how much is recovered without unduly affecting the economic operations of taxpayers," he emphasized.

The expert noted that from a public finance perspective, these debts are a source of income but "should not necessarily be seen as guaranteed effective collection." Furthermore, he said, the SAT likely will not exercise auditing or coercive collection acts for a debt of 500 pesos, as it is "not profitable."

Debts by Sector

According to SHCP data, debts from legal entities (corporations) reached 2 trillion 759 billion 340 million pesos, compared to 2 trillion 514 billion 996 million pesos in the same period of 2025, an annual growth rate of 9.7%.

Canabal maintained that it is natural for companies to have a higher concentration of debt because they handle a larger volume of operations.

"They manage more operations, more taxes—VAT, Income Tax, withholdings, foreign trade, payroll, and intercompany transactions," he stated. In addition to having more complex tax structures, their audits tend to generate higher credit amounts, and corporate litigation involves larger sums due to the size of the entities.

In the case of individuals without business activity, at the close of March 2026, liabilities totaled 271 billion 638 million pesos, while in the same period of 2025, they were 264 billion 277 million pesos, an increase of 2.78%.

For individuals with business activity, the close of the first quarter saw 155 billion 561 million pesos, compared to 151 billion 39 million pesos recorded between January and March 2025, an increase of 2.99%.

"In the case of individuals, there is likely a segmentation of independent professional sectors. In terms of auditing, this implies greater scrutiny of undeclared income, inconsistencies between deposits, CFDI (electronic invoices), and tax returns, business activities, professional fees, leasing, or digital platforms that are not correctly registered in the RFC or compliant with payments," he concluded.