My Adventure with the Mexican Tax ID (RFC)
So, a while back, I got this idea in my head. Don’t ask me why, but I thought, “Hey, maybe I should look into getting a Mexican tax ID.” I’d heard it called the ‘RFC’ – that’s Registro Federal de Contribuyentes for anyone wondering, though I barely knew that at the start. My reasons were a bit fuzzy, something about possibly doing some online work that might, just might, involve clients or payments from Mexico. You know how these ideas pop up.
First thing I did was hit the internet. Typed in “tax id mexico” and down the rabbit hole I went. Man, it was a bit of a mess. Some sites said one thing, others said something slightly different. Some were in Spanish, which, let me tell you, my Spanish is good enough to order food and find the bathroom, but deciphering tax law? Not so much. I spent a good few hours just trying to figure out if what I needed was actually the RFC, or if there was some other magic number I was supposed to be hunting for.
I found out that, yes, the RFC was the main deal for taxes. Then the fun part began: how to actually get one.
I saw stuff about needing a CURP (Clave Única de Registro de Población), which is like a personal identification number. Okay, another thing to figure out. Did I have one? Could I get one? It felt like one of those video games where you need to find three keys to open one door.
- First attempt: I tried to see if I could do it all online. Some official-looking government sites. I clicked around, translated pages with my browser, and mostly just got confused. It seemed like you needed to already be in the system to use the system, if that makes any sense. Classic.
- Second thought: Maybe I needed to make an appointment and go in person. I started looking for info on SAT offices (that’s the Mexican tax agency). The thought of navigating that with my limited Spanish was a bit daunting, I won’t lie.
I gathered what I thought were the necessary documents, or at least a list of them. Passport, proof of address (which one? My home one? A Mexican one if I had it?), birth certificate maybe? It was all a bit hazy. I even practiced a few phrases in Spanish, trying to sound like I knew what I was doing. “Quisiera obtener mi RFC, por favor.” Nailed it, in my head at least.
This whole process, even just the research part, made me think. Why was I even going through all this? The online gig I was vaguely considering wasn’t even a sure thing. It was one of those “maybe, someday” ideas. It reminded me of the time I bought all this fancy baking equipment because I was convinced I was going to become a master baker. That stuff is still in the cupboard, collecting dust.
So, what happened with the RFC? Well, let’s just say the initial enthusiasm kind of… fizzled out. I got partway through figuring out the appointment system, looked at the logistics, and then life just sort of happened. Other things came up, the shiny new idea of the online gig lost its sparkle, and the great RFC adventure got put on the back burner. Then it slid off the back burner.
Honestly, I never actually went through with getting it. I learned a lot about the process, though! And I realized that sometimes, just figuring out how to do something is an adventure in itself, even if you don’t cross the finish line. Maybe one day I’ll pick it up again, but for now, my Mexican Tax ID remains a “what if.” It’s kind of funny, all that effort, and for what? A good story, I guess. And a reminder to maybe think things through a bit more before diving headfirst into bureaucratic mazes. But hey, that’s how we learn, right?