Mexico
| Pros |
|---|
| Low tax burden relative to international averages to allow greater private capital retention and reinvestment. |
| Extensive free trade network to provide duty-free access to major global markets and supply chains. |
| Competitive cost of living and diverse lifestyle choices in emerging tech and business hubs. |
| Cons |
|---|
| Pervasive systemic corruption and complex bureaucracy increasing business costs and legal risks. |
| Widespread security concerns and organized crime activity affecting logistics and personal safety. |
| State-controlled energy markets and uneven infrastructure development limiting access to essential industrial resources. |
Will Mexico tax what you earn?
YES, A LOT. Mexico taxes personal income heavily, peaking at 35%. Standard residency rules apply (day-count, economic interest, habitual abode), so anyone who actually lives here pays the full schedule. The state shows up.
Will Mexico tax what you own?
YES, A LOT. Mexico taxes capital gains heavily (35% at the top), but stops short of an annual wealth charge or inheritance regime. Realisation is the trigger; until you sell, the position keeps compounding.
Is it easy to run a company in Mexico?
NO. Corporate tax in Mexico is 30% with no IP-box relief, on top of VAT at 16. Running a company here is operationally fine but fiscally expensive: the state takes a large bite of every unit of profit.
Is Mexico good for your holding company?
NOT REALLY. Mexico carries an extensive treaty network (54 agreements), which cuts inbound withholding on cross-border flows. The missing piece is a participation exemption: dividends received from subsidiaries face the full corporate schedule (30%) unless the treaty does all the work alone. Useful for operations, not for a pure holding vehicle.
| Country | Status | Dividends | Interest | Royalties |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| ∅ // no treaties match | ||||
What does it cost to come and go from Mexico?
SOME. Mexico taxes worldwide income while you're resident, but there's no exit tax on the way out. The cost of leaving is mostly paperwork: unrealised gains follow you to the next jurisdiction untouched.
Will Mexico protect your privacy?
NOT AT ALL. Mexico has signed every exchange framework that matters and operates a public corporate registry. Whatever you do here (earn, hold, structure) is reportable, accessible, or both. Privacy is not the strategy in this jurisdiction.
Is Mexico itself a liability?
NO. Mexico is clear of every major blacklist (FATF, EU, France, Spain, Portugal, Brazil) and sits inside FATF membership. Dealing with this jurisdiction is reputationally inert: no flags follow the transaction.
Will you feel free in Mexico?
NO. Press freedom in Mexico is restricted (RSF rank #124). Civic space and independent media operate under pressure or not at all, a constraint that typically extends to financial expression as well, even where crypto isn't formally banned.
| Program | Status | Cross-border | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
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Moneda digital del banco central (MDBC)
The asset, which is expected to be launched in 2024, will allow opening accounts to contribute to financial inclusion in the country.
Banco de México
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RESEARCH | — | announce → |
Other jurisdictions worth comparing
Picked by similarity of strategic profile to Mexico. No editorial ranking — neighbours in the same scoring space.