You can get up to 14% discount on your property tax (impuesto predial) by paying it in the first quarter of the year.
In January, the discount is 14%, off the base rate only.
A typical bill in 2010 for a solar lot at El Dorado Ranch is 713.56 pesos, plus 107.03 pesos for the 15% "sports facilities" surcharge, less 99.89 pesos for the 14% early payment discount, giving a net payable of 721 pesos (around US$ 57).
In many cases in El Dorado these amounts are a couple of hundred pesos less than last year because the HOA has successfully renegotiated the way that lots are valued, to exclude non-constructible land such as roadways.
In February, the discount drops to 10%, and it drops further to 5% in March.
You can check your property tax at the Mexicali impuesto predial website, although the site is often broken. It's in both Spanish and English. You'll need your clave catastral (property id), which is on previous property tax bills.
In El Dorado, the HOA office in the main gatehouse by the Pemex can help you convert from a lot number to the clave catastral (property id), and there are also documents on the Ed Dorado web site that have the same information.
In January (at least), you can pay the property tax directly to a representative from the municipality at the El Dorado HOA office. If you're in San Felipe (and have a property in El Dorado) this is by far the simplest option. Paying it in person is 2 pesos more than the amount shown online, as a 2 peso donation to the Red Cross is automatically added.
You can also pay it online at the Mexicali website above. If you do pay online, be sure to turn off any pop-up blockers on your browser to make it more likely (but not certain) that you will see a receipt (which you should print, there is no way to recover it later). Also bear in mind it's a transaction within Mexico so a credit card issued in another country such as the US may automatically block it, and very likely charge a foreign transaction fee. There are reports that Mexicali may add a 3.5% fee as well.
Alternatively, the main property tax office in San Felipe is in the municipal building next to the fire station and across from the post office, on Av. Mar Blanco Sur (I think that's the turning off Chetumal - the main road north from San Felipe - with Banamex on the corner, somebody correct me please if I'm wrong).
Comments
Jimmy
Monday, January 18 2010, 08:19
I believe the bank is the newer Bancomer not Banamex.
Chris
Tuesday, July 27 2010, 10:04
We live in NM and own a lot in La Hacienda, San Felipe. Taxes have been paid in the past by a local 3rd party, but we can't seem to get a receipt. How can we confirm that our taxes are paid up to date? Thanx....
Rob
Tuesday, July 27 2010, 10:28
Chris,
You can go to the Mexicali website http://www.mexicali.gob.mx/apiTesor... and enter your clave number. Your agent will be able to tell you the number.
If/when the site is working (it's very often broken), you'll get figures for the amounts owing for previous years, or if the amounts are up to date it'll say nothing is owing.
Darryl - Baja Sun Real Estate
Tuesday, September 28 2010, 10:56
Rob,
I am now recommending to my clients do not try and pay their property taxes on line. The reason is that several clients have made their payment on line with a credit card, and they received a receipt with a confirmation number too {from the property tax website}. However their payments were not processed, but because they received a receipt with conformation number they believed their property taxes were now paid. We discovered this trying to do several closings, and the tax office just says they have no records on their computers showing the payment was made. So even if you get a receipt showing you made a payment, this does not mean your taxes are paid. You must follow up and check your credit card statement records to see if the payment was processed and check with the tax office at a later date to see if their records show your payment was recorded. The best way to pay your taxes is to do it in person at the government office in town, the staff there are very nice and helpful.