Meeting with SAT (Tax agency jefe) re Foreign plated cars

So I would like to tell you all and make public some information you all might find useful as well as be able to know that we are working towards a solution to the whole foreign plated car mess.

I have had various meetings with SAT, the Mexican IRS and tax agency about doing the retorno seguro. We have done some without issue, however, they are used to getting one request every two weeks, not one a day from us and also others in Guadalajara have been using the process for stolen cars.

We turned in a request yesterday and they halted the process due to suspicion of getting so many requests, relatively for them. I called and talked to the guy and explained to him why and he said nothing new has been published in the DOF and I said Mexico City has given us written resolutions not allowing residente permanentes extensions on their vehicle permits and emailed them the resolution. Then the guy started to understand. He also said what the government wasn't doing wasn't fair and we should fight it, I said sure but who will pay and who has time? We need to pick our fights as many clients cannot afford protracted litigation, especially when there is an easier and cheaper option.

Today I met with the jefe, a wonderful gentleman who was extremely nice and very willing to help, to the extreme that he will help us prosecute the bad guys who have given fake documents with the full force of the Mexican federal government (the tax man knows everything and has more access to all people's records) as well as he has placed on the Federal Aduana Agenda a proposal to allow permanentes 90 days after receiving their cards to leave Mexico to eliminate the need for retorno seguro, we are still working on this and he has spoken to the office in Mexico and we are not sure if they would approve this and publish a decree nor how long it will take.

I will continue to work with SAT to get the job done. Due to the recent fraud they want to physically see and inspect all vehicles. I mentioned that many of my clients are elderly as well as we have the issue of driving a vehicle with no papers to the site to make it legal. I am working out a plan where we will still present papers in Guadalajara but they will send an inspector to the Chapala area 2 days a week to do the verifications so as not to inconvenience people. Also they will get authorization from the other tax office heads to do the vehicle verification for them so that nobody will need to bring their cars into Guadalajara and we can bring the initial papers to Guadalajara and then finish the process locally.

We also chatted about the donation of vehicles to the Mexican government. We spoke with SAT / Aduana in Mexico City and they said people can only donate vehicles prior to the expiration of their permit, this really helps few people. I am working with the jefe to change this and will present a proposal to him to present to the head aduana office in Mexico City where people will be able to donate vehicles as well as have the benefit go to a local charity for the benefit of the local community notwithstanding the fact that the vehicle permit has expired. This fine gentleman sees things our way and understands the issues as well as the law and we had a great chat and soon (remember this is Mexico) we hope to be able to lessen the burden on foreigners with their vehicles.

Well done Spencer! You are a truly amazing guy. Thanks for all you do!

Thank you, Spencer! You are most appreciated!

Way to go Spencer! Your efforts are above and beyond the call of most in your profession. You are doing a great service for a great many people who are caught in this pickle.

THANK YOU, SPENCER!
Unfortunatly I have the dreaded 'J' vin # and car that is refusing to go to the border. Any new hope for us???

You should send the SAT a copy of how Canada handles settlers effects.
http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/publications/dm-md/d2/d2-2-1-eng.pdf
Qualifying vehicles (which this list lays out) have to meet Canadian safety standards and then be plated and insured in the Province of residence.

Canadians should be pressuring the Canadian government to not allow Mexican immigrants to bring in a personal vehicle. Maybe Canada should treat Mexicans the same way Mexico treats Canadians. That would be fair, wouldn't it?

I have no problem with the way Mexico is treating me. I did my research and understood that at best you could only ever get a "temporary permit" for a foriegn car so opted to buy one down here.

"Maybe Canada should treat Mexicans the same way Mexico treats Canadians. That would be fair, wouldn't it?" -- Chillin
Yes, by all means, let us punish all immigrants for the perceived sins of their governments, because it is so their fault and, god knows, life isn´t already difficult enough.

BTW.....last time I inquired, Canada didn't allow ANY Mexican registered vehicles to be imported. If you can show me otherwise I would love to see it, as this is what I was told.

Canada doesn't care where your car comes from, they pass off responsibility to the Province - it is up to them and I can tell you in B.C., it is pretty easy. Many Canadian Tire stores are authorized to inspect and make modifications and then the Province issues the plate/insurance. In my case the car was officially 'remanufactured' in Canada, and issued new Canadian V.I.N. numbers. Do you want a picture of my Canadian VIN plate on a 25 year old Japanese diesel?

I know I started a thread about nationalizing vehicles a long time ago when the world was green, and their were more.......LOL, but, if I nationalize my 2001 F150, drive it back to USA, put the plates back on, have my current registration, and title.....what do ya think the odds are for an issue when I sell it with the Original Oregon Plates? Especially since title and registration have been in my name, and insured USA for the past 12 years?


Then put the Mexican plates back on upon return?

CHILLIN wrote:In my case the car was officially 'remanufactured' in Canada, and issued new Canadian V.I.N. numbers. Do you want a picture of my Canadian VIN plate on a 25 year old Japanese diesel?

Whaaaaaa??? You can do that?

CHILLIN wrote:Canada doesn't care where your car comes from, they pass off responsibility to the Province - it is up to them and I can tell you in B.C., it is pretty easy. Many Canadian Tire stores are authorized to inspect and make modifications and then the Province issues the plate/insurance. In my case the car was officially 'remanufactured' in Canada, and issued new Canadian V.I.N. numbers. Do you want a picture of my Canadian VIN plate on a 25 year old Japanese diesel?

I said Canada will not allow Mexican vehicles to be imported. The provinces are bound by some Federal regulations. Was your 25 year old Japanese diesel originally bought and registered in Mexico?

I stand corrected. I just did some more research and apparently during the last year or so, Transport Canada has removed the restriction on Mexican vehicles.

http://importingcarstocanada.org/192/mexican-used-cars-ok-for-canadian-import/

The only car from Mexico that Canadians would want would be classic beetles. The newest you could (easily) import would be 1999 - which brings us into the 'new' beetle, which I think would only be worth the trouble if it had a diesel TDI engine.

My truck is not Mexican plated but there are lots of Jalisco plated versions out there from $4,000 pesos on up. I would have to be very careful buying one of these, checking title and fines etc. Then I could build up a custom from there, adding a winch, snorkel, new tires, new paint - and it would still be less than the cost of nationalizing. There is no VIN number on my 120,000 km engine or newly rebuilt transmission. There are yards in Guadalajara who specialize in swapping out cars/trucks. Fast and cheap

CanuckBob wrote:I stand corrected. I just did some more research and apparently during the last year or so, Transport Canada has removed the restriction on Mexican vehicles.

http://importingcarstocanada.org/192/mexican-used-cars-ok-for-canadian-import/

This is of interest to us because IF we had to go back to Canada to live we would have to drive. Hubby can't fly any more. I realize that I would need to check further on the emissions status but it sounds doable.
Chillin...perhaps I misunderstood your post...in 1999 both kinds of beetles were being made in Mexico. The last classic beetle rolled off the line in Puebla on June 30th of 2003.
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/last-classic-vw-beetle-rolls-off-the-line

I didn't know that about the two beetles. My wife had a 2000 Golf TDI as a work commuter, was a great car and still a daily driver with her niece. 49 miles a gallon, but still lots of low end power/torque because of the diesel.

A lot of people with the old Japanese diesels are burning used cooking oil. This is just filtered oil - not biodiesel. The tank has to be heated to approximately 100 degrees F, switch tanks, and it runs exactly the same except your exhaust smells like fried food. The used oil is about 50 cents a gallon - most people who do this make themselves out to be eco-warriors, but most of them are just cheap!

The car needs to meet Canada's standards for the given year. A 1999 "old school" Beetle from Mexico would not meet those standards as it doesn't have air bags, crash bumpers, etc., etc.

I had heard there was some problem with the beetle. Because I know how to sculpt cars, and make large scale molds, I have always been interested in kit cars. I remember there is some law that you have to keep the original bumpers, the wheels also cannot be exposed. I am just mentioning in case you want to bring your Volksrod into Canada.

Audi has just announced yesterday that they are going to build their Q5 crossover plant in Mexico. From there they will be shipped all over the world.
http://europe.autonews.com/article/20130517/ANE/305179999/tariff-played-a-role-in-mexico-winning-audi-plant#axzz2Tf7WdLGD