Jan 29, 2018 Update
Note … New exam questions are listed in the current updated version of this post at:  https://yucalandia.com/2018/04/26/april-2018-update-to-mexicos-naturalized-citizenship-exam-requirements/

As reported by Yucalandia on Jan 12, ( https://yucalandia.com/answers-to-common-questions/mexican-citizenship-test-with-answers/ ) …  SRE has changed their requirements & policies for getting Naturalized Citizenship, by replacing their previous 5 multiple choice ‘Mexican History & Culture’ exam with a new format.

As of now, we’ve had no local reports from Yucatan about what Merida’s SRE officie is doing,  but Mexico’s oldest & largest expat community offers the following ~unofficial~ reports into their SRE office’s ways of meeting the new 2018 SRE requirements for qualifying for Ciudadana Naturaleza.

The first change (reported from Jalisco) is that foreigner applicants over age 60(59?) from non-Spanish speaking countries, (like Canada, USA, Gr. Britain et al) will have to take both written & oral Spanish language exams to prove competency in Spanish.
… “If you are over 61 & from a Latin American country, you will not have to sit for any written tests. If you are over 61 &  not  of Latin American origin, you will not have to take the history-geography-culture-gastronomy written test. You will, however, have to sit for a written Spanish language exam regardless of your age. …”

“(SRE’s new) Spanish language exam involves reading comprehension, grammar, spelling, conjugation, etc.    You will read an article in Spanish then answer questions about the article in essay form in written Spanish. You will be judged on all the annoying little details such as accent marks, capitalization, correct verb conjugation, etc.”

Further,  for applicants under age 60,  it is reported that applicants have to take a 10 question, multiple-choice-answer, timed (5 minutes) written exam on Mexican culture, history, gastronomy etc..  Successful applicants must answer 8 out of 10 questions correctly.  SRE will offer several different versions of the written exam, rotating the exam questions.   Here are 2  ~unofficial~ ~unconfirmed~ versions the new current SRE’s ‘new’ 2018 written exam for culture-history-gastronomy etc:

“Example Questions & Answers:  **Version 1**
1: Que lugar ocupa la economia de Mexico en el mundo? – 15º lugar
2: Quien fue el astronauta mexicano que viajó al espacio en la misón STS-61-B del Transbordador Espacial Atlantis? – Rodolfo Neri Vela
3: Como se llama (la cultura) que inventó el “0”? – Maya
4: Cual es la comida tipica de Nuevo Leon? – Cabrito
5: Cual es el significado del nombre “Cuauhtemoc” en el idioma náhuatl? – El Aguila que descendio
6: Como se llama el premio concedido anualmente por la Academia Mexicana de Artes y Ciencias Cinematograficas? – Ariel (de plata)
7: El arpa tiene un lugar privilegiado en la musica de que estado mexicano? – Vera Cruz
8: Como se llamaba el dios azteca de la guerra? – Huitzilopochtli
9: A que se refiere (el apelativo) de La Mujer Dormida y (El Cerro Que Humea)? – Iztaccihuatl y Popocatepetl
10: Que faceta de la cultura mexicana fue representada por (Alfonso Reyes,) Juan Rulfo, y (Rosario Castellanos)? – La narrativa mexicana “

= = = = = = = = = = =

“Example Questions & Answers:  **Version 2**
1. ¿A quien se le conoce como el Centauro del Norte? – Francisco Villa
2. Acapulco fue durante los siglos XVII y XVIII un importante puerto porque controlaba la navegación en el _____. – Océano Pacífico
3. Nombre del partido político que gobernó durante 7 décadas en el siglo XX: _____. – Partido Revolucionario Institucional
4. El teatro de mayor prestigio en la ciudad de México es el: _____. – Palacio de Bellas Artes
5. ¿Cuál es el número total de senadores en México? – 128
6. ¿En que estado de la republica se encuentra el Cerro de la Silla? – Nuevo Leon
7. ¿Cuál era el nombre de México durante el periodo colonial? – Nueva España
8. ¿Cuál es la fecha en que se celebra el Dia de las Mamas en México? – El 10 de Mayo
9. ¿Cuál es nombre del mexicano que recibió el premio Nobel de Literatura? – Octavio Paz
10. ¿Cuál fue la aportación mas importante del científico mexicano Luis Ernesto Miramontes Cárdenas? – Inventó el primer anticonceptivo oral
Since this information appears legitimate, but we have no independent confirmations from other SRE offices (outside of Jalisco),  we welcome readers to provide current & ongoing updates to how their local SRE offices are implementing the new rules & new requirements for Mexican Naturalized Citizenship.

===========================
Note
New exam questions are listed in the current updated version of this post at:  https://yucalandia.com/2018/04/26/april-2018-update-to-mexicos-naturalized-citizenship-exam-requirements/

========================
FINALLY:
An applicant in Jalisco found Jalisco SRE’s Spanish test is extremely easy.
“In Part One, you read a few paragraphs out loud then answer multiple choice questions about what you just read.
In Part Two, you pick a photo at random out of a book of photos, then write 3 grammatically-correct sentences in Spanish about that photo. Any sentences of any length about anything tangentially related to the photo. “

We’re looking forward to reports from Yucatan about how Merida’s SRE is handling it.

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© Steven M. Fry

Read-on MacDuff . . .

January 6, 2018

January 5, 2018
Computer security teams have discovered two separate vulnerabilities in Intel, AMD & ARM brand chips that exploit weaknesses in an essential CPU chip process when pretty much all modern computers try to anticipate what functions the user will need next.    The two vulnerabilities have been named “Spectre” and “Meltdown”.  There weaknesses affect basically all Intel , AMD & ARM brand chipsets.   That includes all Google devices, all Google cloud storage, and all  Apple devices,  including even Apple watches. … Sadly,  the current patches all slow down our computers, which particularly affects Apple~Mac devices & tablets, as they already run slower than PC computers.

If we do not download the latest security updates from Microsoft and Apple et al,  then hackers might be able to access our computer’s or tablets etc memory to steal our passwords & user IDs – using hacking methods that cannot be detected via traditional means.

Currently, there are no reports yet of hackers actually figuring out how to exploit the two flaws.

What else to do?

• Firefox Browser Users: Run ONLY the latest version (above 57) as per their advisory.
• Internet Explorer & Edge Browser Users:  Install the latest versions.
• Chrome Browser Users: Go to ”  chrome://flags/#enable-site-per-process ” in your browser and ENABLE   “Strict Site Isolation” .  (See example below)

  We’ll continue to follow the problem, and report on updated solutions as the manufacturers work to fix the problems.

  

Tis the Season …

For people who enjoy scratching the surface of traditional stories,
there are some interesting (yet traditional) translations & understandings of the Jesus-Mary-Joseph birth narrative that don’t necessarily fit our nostalgic memories of “The Christmas Story” … of Inns … and Inn-keepers yelling “Go Away!”  …. “No room at the Inn” … and desperate conditions of dirty common stables.

“In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be enrolled. This was the first enrollment, when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be enrolled, each to his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to be delivered. And she gave birth to her first-born son and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.” (Luke 2:1-7 RSV)

Consider that Luke 2:7 in the earliest Christian text says there was no room in the καταλυμα “kataluma”.  “Kataluma” can mean inn,  but more frequently translates as the guest room in a family~personal home … because there were not Holiday Inns nor Hampton Inns in the tiny hamlet of “Bethlehem Ephrata”.

Next: Where is “Bethlehem”? …. Is it the “Bethlehem”, near Nazareth? … Consider that “The City of David” (as is written in the earliest Christian texts),  Joseph’s ancestral family home, was not the City of Bethlehem, but instead:   “Bethlehem Eprata”.

Early Christian texts clearly describe Jesus birthplace as the “City of David” or sometimes “Bethlehem Ephrata” … is not the (modern … or ancient) City of Bethlehem.   From both modern archaeology and the earliest Greek & Aramaic/Syriac sources: “Bethlehem Ephrata” is different than the “City of Bethlehem”.  The City of Bethlehem was a walled city where the wealthy people lived.

In contrast, the first century village of Bethlehem Ephrata was a very rural (but special) farm community that grew food, raised sheep & goats for the City of Bethlehem and … sacrificial lambs for the Temple. … As such, the people of the village of Bethlehem Ephrata were primarily shepherds, and the main structure in the village of Bethlehem Ephrata was known as … the  “Tower of the Flock”. which identifies Bethlehem Ephrata as the “Migdal Edar” (“Tower of the Flock”)  described in Micah 4:8. for watching over the specially born,   pens of protected unblemished lambs destined for the Temple … Bethlehem Ephrata. which is also a reference to the birthplace of the (unblemished) messiah …

Then note: David’s father and brothers lived in the City of Bethlehem … but David was born and grew up in the village of Bethlehem Ephrata … hence,  “The City of David”

Does it now make sense that the crowds of David’s ancestors coming to be counted in the ancestral yet tiny “City of David” … went to a small hamlet … with no “inns” nor inn-keepers  … and that the καταλυμα (kataluma)   upstairs  family-home guest room was already full of other visiting family members, when Mary & Joseph arrived?

Why upstairs vs downstairs?
The καταλυμα (kataluma) guest-room was typically upstairs (see Luke 22:11).

Doubt this? Jesus used this same Greek word καταλυμα (kataluma) in Luke 22:11’s Last Supper story to refer to an upstairs guest room. That room (from Luke 22) is now known as the Upper Room … for the Last Supper meal that Jesus ate with His disciples before His Crucifixion. … Do we really think that Jesus & the Disciples had the Last Supper in a public inn (pandocheion, πανδοχειον), paying some “innkeeper” (pandochei, πανδοχει)? or … Did they use a καταλυμα (kataluma) private home Upper Room ?

Next? … Yes, as some readers have already guessed, the room at the lowest level of a Judean hill country home at that time has been crudely translated in English as: “stable” creating images of a dirty barn … vs. the better translation as a special “stall” set aside for birthing sacrificial ~unblemished~ lambs – separate from the stable.  The manger Yatnh phat-ne  in the Septuagint, (see Proverbs 14:4) translates as either manger or …  a crib.

Fun Stuff?
If we choose science, facts & good-quality translations of early Christian texts … It was NOT a stable in American terms. … Archaeologists excavating contemporary first century Judean hill country homes discover that while the upper level served as a guest chamber,  the middle level served as the living and dining rooms, and the lowest level served as special night-time rooms … specifically stalls for our highly valued animals.

Modern archaeologists have found that these lowest rooms were often the earliest occupied part of a typical Judean hill country home = > a cave.   This lowest room was also often where the more vulnerable animals would be brought in at night to protect them from the cold, harm & theft. This lowest room was not the dirty manure filled stable we think of today – and these lowest rooms often had a special stall set aside for birthing of sacrificial lambs, to protect & keep them unblemished.

Modern Context: While Americans & Canadians wouldn’t even think of bringing cattle into the house at night, notice instead that  clean  Germans & Austrians still have night-time animal quarters as rooms of their home.

Is the Christmas story starting to make sense now ?

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For doubters, who still want to insist that the rural hamlet of Bethlehem Ephrata, must have had an “inn”, consider that first century Palestine inns were more commonly called pandocheion, πανδοχειον… as is used in Luke 10:34’s story of the Good Samaritan who took the beaten man to the “inn” (pandocheion, πανδοχειον) and paid the “innkeeper” (pandochei, πανδοχει, v. 35) to care for the man.

Sure … People are welcome to cling to their nostalgic stories of “Inns” … and Inn Keepers saying “Go AWAY” … “No room at the Inn” … but that ignores the earliest Christian Greek & Syriac~Aramaic texts … and ignores modern archaeological results.   

Instead, we can choose archaeological results & good translations of those earliest Gospel texts … as they do make sense.

Merry Christmas !

December 5, 2017

It’s that time of year again !
Our INM visa-issuing offices close every year for the weeks spanning Christmas & New Years:
A supervisor at our Merida INM office confirmed that December 19, 2017 is INM’s last day in 2017 for accepting visa applications, processing applications, or even issuing letters allowing one to leave Mexico while your visa application is pending.

Be sure to complete everything you need by the morning of Dec. 19 – especially if you have a visa in the approval process.  Note that INM often requests at least 3 business days to prepare the document needed for people who are waiting for their visas, but need the INM document giving permission to exit Mexico, and return, while your visa application is being processed.

The supervisor continued to say the Merida INM office re-opens to the public on Jan 8, 2018.

As in the past: The annual INM office closing is just for their regional & local INM offices who process visa applications etc.   Border crossings, ports of entry (seaports & airports) continue to work normally throughout the holiday seasons.

Full details on Immigration issues at our main article:
~ Current Rules and Procedures for Immigration, Visiting, and Staying in Mexico

Happy Holidays,
steve

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Feel free to copy while giving proper attribution: YucaLandia/Surviving Yucatan.
© Steven M. Fry

November 22, 2017

Descacharrización !

Bring out your junk !
For newbies, this means you can put out your junk, crockery, plastic trash on your Merida street corner for FREE disposal … Put out your trash for pickup before Saturday Nov. 25 ~for locations south of C59 or south of Av. Jacinto Canek~
or
Put out your trash for pickup before Sunday Nov. 26 ~for locations NORTH of C59 or North of Av. Jacinto Canek~

Do not include organic-vegetable~vegetation yard waste.

The City of Merida offers this periodically to encourage people to clean-up ~ eliminate likely mosquito breeding sites in and around their homes … especially our yards.

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Feel free to copy while giving proper attribution: YucaLandia/Surviving Yucatan.
© Steven M. Fry

Read on, MacDuff

November 22, 2017
Despite last month’s early higher ‘predictions’ (aka rumors), the Mexican minimum wage for Mexico is increasing to only $88.36 pesos diarios.

Effective Dec. 1, 2017,  the daily salario minimo for Mexico increases just 3.9%, while inflation has been officially pegged at 6% for the previous year => Mexican workers pay is losing ground.

http://noticieros.televisa.com/ultimas-noticias/nacional/2017-11-21/conasami-acuerda-aumento-salario-minimo-cinco-pesos/

Next:  Note that this Mexico rate is the official value used for calculating INM Resident visa income requirements etc.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Examples:
Financial Independence (Savings or Income or Property) Requirements for Permanent Residency / Residente Permanente Applicants

December 27, 2022 UPDATE: Rather than the previous minimum 6 legally required paid-vacation days off work for Mexican workers, it’s now 12 “continuous” total paid-vacation days off work for all employees in 2023. D.O.F. 12/26/2022 (Diario Official de la Federacion)

Vacaciones dignas 2023:

AGUINALDO’s ! Nov. 3, 2019 As all the Buen Fin plans …. and as Christmas holiday chatzkies are appearing on store shelves …. as we make our holiday plans … It’s time to remember our beloved household help and employees (including muchachas y mozos). Please plan ahead to pay them their end of the year Aguinaldos by at least December 20’th …. and Plan to also give them paid Vacation days OFF  for the year … Ignore the gringo-myths:   The Aguinaldo is NOT a optional bonus. Our Mexican workers and their families count-on and depend on these critical annual payments owed to them. Because the Annual vacation pay & Aguinaldo payments are mandatory, you can pay them whenever you want … like even ~NOW~ … so they can enjoy using those $$ for the upcoming Buen Fin sales !   (Nov 13 – 17, 2019) Aguinaldo Basically the Aguinaldo is 15 days of pay. (calculated on a 7 day work wk). Specifically, the annual aguinaldo payment is precisely 15 days of “Daily Rate” pay. It is not a Christmas bonus.   It is a mandatory wage payment that is due by the 20’th of December.   The aguinaldo is equivalent to at least “15 days wages”, and may be pro-rated if the employee has been working for you for less than a full year. Simplified Version to Determine Aguinaldo in $ Pesos $: # Days Worked per Week   x   # Weeks Worked   x    Rate per Day   x   15 Days / 365 Days = Note.  The “Daily Rate” is based on a full week.  For example, if your maid only works two days per week,  and gets paid $700 pesos per week ($350 pesos per day of work).  You take the weeks salary of $700 divided by 7 =>  $100 pesos is the Daily Rate. Aguinaldo in $ Pesos $ ** If a worker is hired to work by the week, the “Daily Rate” equals their weekly pay … divided by 7.   If he / she  is hired by the month, the “Daily Rate” is the monthly amount divided by 30.  **Daily Rate Simplest Example…  If you have an employee who works two days a week ~ for the entire year ~ for $350 pesos each day = $700 pesos a week: $700 pesos / 7 days = $100 pesos per day at their “Daily Rate” $100 pesos “Daily Rate” x 15 days of Aguinaldo pay = $1500 pesos Note that if they work only a part year: An alternate way of calculating the aguinaldo is determined by multiplying the total days they worked in current year by 15, then divide by 365 days, and then multiply by the daily rate: For a part-year worker coming in for 2 days a month for 9 months => 18 days … x  … 15 days of Aguinaldo = 270 270 / 365 = 0.7392 …    0.74 x   $Daily Rate ($100 pesos?)   = $ _____ Note.  The “Daily Rate” is based on a full week.  For example, if your maid only works two days per week,  and gets paid $700 pesos per week ($350 pesos per day of work).  You take the weeks salary of $700 divided by 7  =  $100 pesos is the Daily Rate. ================================== Vacation Pay – 2023 Update ! Vacation pay for current year worked. … Remember that this is the official Mexican Labor Law’s “Daily Rate” ** (see below) … and remember they should also receive this pay for all past years worked. 1st year – 12 days of Daily Rate pay** 2 years – 14 days 3 years – 16 days 4 years – 18 days 5 years – 20 days 6 to 10 years – 22 days 11 to 15 years – 24 days 16 to 20 years – 26 days 21 to 25 years – 28 days 26 to 30 years – 30 days 31 to 36 years – 32 days **Daily Rate pay is based on a 7 day work-week calculation.   Either divide their weekly pay by 7 to get their Daily Rate pay … or .. Calculate the full year pay, and divide by 365 days to get the Daily Rate pay. Happy Holidays ! *      *      *      * See more details at our Full Articles: https://yucalandia.com/answers-to-common-questions/labor-law-for-household-employees-in-mexico-what-must-we-pay/ … and   https://yucalandia.com/answers-to-common-questions/mexicos-new-2012-labor-law-and-the-effects-on-expats-with-household-help/ ” Under the final rule, which takes effect in 30 days, a service animal is a dog trained to help a person with a physical or psychiatric disability. Advocates for veterans and others had pushed for inclusion of psychiatric service dogs. ” *           *           *           * Feel free to copy while giving proper attribution: YucaLandia/Surviving Yucatan. © Steven M. Fry Read on, MacDuff.

October 27, 2017

Public Service Announcement:
We now know why some flu vaccinations have not been working at all, against the important H3N2 Flu virus. **

Flu vaccines: Why egg-based vaccine production is causing problems

By using eggs, the H3N2 subtype mutates a key viral protein to bind to egg-bird cells.
This egg-specific mutation disrupts the critical region on the flu virus protein that is normally  targeted by our immune system.

This means egg-based flu vaccines containing the mutated protein DOES NOT TRIGGER an effective immune response. … This leaves our body without protection against the circulating strains of H3N2 flu viruses.
*sigh*

Solution:   ASK your flu virus vaccine provider if their vaccine is egg-based.

Sadly, most US-created flu vaccines are egg-based => likely not worth getting

Instead, choose the less-common non-egg based flu vaccines, like Flublok.
Flublok is a recombinant protein-based vaccine for influenza immunization in adults over age 17 …

http://www.empr.com/news/egg-free-flu-vaccine-now-available-for-2015-2016-season/article/439959/

October 27, 2017

October 17, 2017
The Diario de Yucatan just announced that our “Peninsular” office of CFE has changed Merida & its comisarios from the more expensive Tarifa Zone C, down to the cheaper Tarifa Zone D.

Sorry … This does not apply to the beach … but, since many of you have Merida homes … or are thinking about moving to Merida:

What triggered the change?
Merida experienced three consecutive years of summer months with temperatures over 31º C trigger the change from “C” to “D”.

What are the details of the change?
Zone C residential homes CURRENTLY get 900 kWh of deeply-discounted** SUMMER power. Zone D residential homes get 1500 kWh of deeply~discounted** SUMMER months power.  … Summer = April – Sept for CFE in Yucatan.

What does this mean for our power bills?
This means summer bimonthly ~additional~ NEW savings** of about $1050 pesos per bill for people using Excedente energy levels, (but not for DAC customers). On a whole-summer basis, we get $3,150 pesos of additional NEW savings** for the whole summer for Merida’s Excedente-level residential power users.

The new ~total~ summer Government Subsidy savings** for Meridadano households total to $8,600 pesos per summer. ~

**The deep discounts are government subsidies – gifts to us.

* * * * * * *
Specifically:
“La División Peninsular de la Comisión Federal de Electricidad confirmó la reclasificación de la tarifa eléctrica en Mérida y sus comisarías. Con este cambio el municipio pasará de la categoríaIC a la ID, más barata. Esto significaría ahorros de hasta mil pesos entre los usuarios que consumen al bimestre 1,150 watts en promedio. ”

“La reducción se logró gracias a que el Ejército y la Conagua entregaron las mediciones de temperatura, en las que se demuestran que durante los meses de verano de tres años consecutivos, la temperatura promedio de Mérida rebasó los 31 grados, por eso se pudo cambiar la tarifa”,

http://yucatan.com.mx/merida/economia-merida/cfe-reclasifica-las-tarifas-electricidad

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Feel free to copy while giving proper attribution: YucaLandia/Surviving Yucatan.
Steven M. Fry

Read on, MacDuff!

Sept. 25, 2017
Coming soon to a ~ Walmart … Target … Home Depot ~ in your area …

There are whole new generations of credit card skimmers at Walmart et al that are surprisingly good…

What Can We Do?
Thieves continue to modify public ATMs to allow them to steal our Bank Card or Credit Card information, by adding ever-more sophisticated card skimmers & hidden cameras to record  when we enter our security PINs … =>  Making identity theft a $16 billion a year industry in USA-Canada-Mexico.

There’s new free app out that allows us to detect many of the ways that an ATM … or gas pump … or Target~Home Depot~Walmart scanner has been hacked ~ modified by thieves ~ to steal your personal financial information, Credit Card ~ Bank Card numbers and security PINs.

Think:   Skimmer Scanner

BAD NEWS FOR I-Phone ~ Apple Users:
This new app,  Skimmer Scanner,  only works for Android devices  (think Samsung=good,  Apple=bad) … because there’s no iPhone version … The  Skimmer Scanner  searches for any Bluetooth modules near an ATM or gas pump.   Credit card skimmers currently use Bluetooth as the most typical method of transmitting our stolen bank & identity information.

ZDNet explains that Bluetooth modules are the most typical way that thieves download all the our credit card numbers & PINs they’ve captured … usually stolen without ever being detected.  … The thieve’s skimmer transmits our personal data to some Bluetooth module that “saves” the info,  until the thief returns to collect them.

Once installed, the thief never has to physically touch with the skimmer set-up, allowing them to be sitting in a nearby car nearby or even standing beside the offending gas station pump … casually downloading our personal Credit & Bank Card information.

For people who believe they can personally spot modified ATMs & modified Target~Home Depot~Walmart card scanners … consider this:
Can you spot the fake…  from the real one?

…

************************
Here’s a link to other card skimmers seen in the past in Yucatan (see bottom of article).

https://yucalandia.com/answers-to-common-questions/banking-currency-exchanges-using-credit-cards-atms-in-mexico/

Can you spot all the fakes? …

If not,  maybe it’s time to get the app.

Happy Trails,
steve

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Feel free to copy while giving proper attribution: YucaLandia/Surviving Yucatan.
© Steven M. Fry

Read-on MacDuff . . .

April 24. 2024 Update
(Sept. 19, 2017 original)

Let’s begin with a few general principles:   Local Mexican used cars pricing can seem to be all over the map, unless you first check out Kelley Blue book values from the USA & check Mercado Libre prices for similar models across Mexico.

Next, Mexican used cars don’t lose value like United States or Canada-sold used cars.    Then consider that even while the MXN peso dropped 50% in value from $13 MXN, falling to $18MXN : 1 USD,  like Mexican real estate, the older Mexican cars purchased at $13 MXN: $1USD car prices have not generally risen the 50% that  one might expect from the MXN peso losing value.  This can mean that Mexican used cars can now cost less than the same US car.

Still, talk is cheap … What’s possible in the real world? …  For us,  our most recent personal purchase of a very good condition 6-year-old used Nissan Altima came in at just $90,000 pesos (about $5,000 USD) with just 50,000 miles.

Do’s & Don’ts:
Sharp people seek insider tips on how to value and buy a used car in their local market – which bring us to gently used cars, being sold by 40-60 yr old Middle Class women.  General used cars are likely to be beaten up by topes (our ubiquitous speed bumps), randomly appearing batches (potholes) that weren’t there last week, as well as the damaging vagaries of a tropical climate,  hot sun and proximity-to-the-sea marine influences.

 … So, why seek out gently used cars, being sold by 40-60 yr old Middle Class women?  … Typically, well-educated 40-60 yr old Middle Class women drive conservatively,  they know where the batches & topes are, and they take good care of their vehicles … plus, one more beneficial quirk:

There’s an old 1960’s maxim quietly running in their minds:

“Sell your car before it hits 100,000 km “, because supposedly “Cars with over 100,00 km have lots of parts that break.”…

That maxim made a lot sense back in the 1960’s – 1970’s, when US cars were notorious for starters, timing chains, automatic transmissions, radiators, brake master cylinders, ball joints  & alternators ALL failing between 60,000 – 120,000 miles. … But … due to competition~pressure from Japanese & German better-made cars,  pretty much all cars (except VWs) now run very reliably, with few problems, between 60,000 – 120,000 miles.

This means that gently-driven, well-maintained  Mexican cars being sold by 40-60 yr old Middle Class Mexican women can be EXCELLENT BUYS …

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Enjoying this? … Click on the link below to continue reading the rest of the article:

https://yucalandia.com/driving-in-mexico-issues-fun/buying-a-used-car-in-mexico-dos-donts/

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Feel free to copy while giving proper attribution: YucaLandia/Surviving Yucatan.
© Steven M. Fry

Read-on MacDuff . . .

 

 

Sept. 16, 2017 Update

Taxes and death are the two things most people want to avoid, but here at Yucalandia we suffer from a peculiar malady of grimacing and facing-off with distasteful-but-necessary issues.  We recently addressed Death** ,  so, now it’s time for taxes.

Disclaimers:
~ As with all legal issues, it’s BEST to talk with a talented expert about the details of how to comply with Mexican law, and the information offered on Yucalandia is solely for educational & informational purposes.  This is especially true for taxes, because the Mexican ISR is particularly dense, yet the ISR incudes some surprising exemptions & exceptions.

Still, it’s also really helpful to get a sense of the basic principles of our responsibilities, to know when to go see that good tax attorney &/or accountant. That’s the purpose of this short article.   In April, 2017, SAT put up a helpful website, in English, describing foreigner’s specific tax responsibilities,  and that website is the basis for this article:

“TAX TREATMENT OF FOREIGN RESIDENTS RECEIVING INCOME IN MEXICO”
http://www.sat.gob.mx/english/Paginas/English/tax_treatment_residents_in_mexico.aspx

~  Note that if you are a resident of either Canada or the USA, Mexico has tax treaties with each, and those tax treaties provisions take precedent over Hacienda~SAT’s ISR rules.

For USA-nians, Yucalandia offers detailed analyses of our responsibilities both in the USA & Mexico under the 1993 USA Mexico Tax Convention at:

IRS Tax Issues for Americans Living and Working Abroad in Mexico – Master Article

“WHO ARE CONSIDERED RESIDENTS IN MEXICO

Tax legislation considers residents in Mexico the following persons:

• ​To individuals, nationals and foreigners, who have their residence address in Mexico. When they also have a living place in another country they are considered to be resident in Mexico, if they are in the following cases:

 – When more than 50% of their annual income is obtained in Mexico.

– When the center of its professional activities is located in national territory.

• Individuals who are State officials or Mexican national workers, even if the headquarters of their business is abroad. 

• ​Legal entities (companies, associations and civil societies, among others) that have established in Mexico their business headquarters or main offices.

Individuals of Mexican nationality are considered residents of Mexico, unless they prove they have a residence status in another country. 

Individuals who according to the foregoing are Mexico´s resident, regardless of being a foreign nationality, are taxed as any national individual resident in Mexico. to know how you should be taxed, you may consult the main tax regimes, if you fall in this category. 

Individuals who are residents of Mexico will be taxed according to their activity or corporate purpose in any of the following regimes: “

http://www.sat.gob.mx/english/Paginas/English/residents_in_mexico.aspx

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Mexican Taxes on Foreigner’s Real Estate Income
KISS … Keeping it simple:   Foreigners who own real estate & rent it out owe 25% taxes (“without deduction”) on the rental income:
http://www.sat.gob.mx/english/Paginas/English/how_do_foreigners_pay_taxes.aspx

“ Income tax calculation  
Tax is paid by applying the rate of 25% on the income obtained, without deduction.

Payment mode 
People who make payments, calculate the tax and make the withholding and whole or payment corresponding to the Tax Administration Service (SAT). 

When the individual who makes payments is resident abroad, taxpayer who obtains the income must calculate and pay the tax by means of a declaration, which he presents either by Internet or bank teller, within 15 days after obtaining the income. 

Obligation to issue an electronic invoice for the income or revenue collected 

Tenants must issue electronic invoices for the income received, which must have tax requirements. 

When the rent is paid to a trust, the trustee must issue tax receipts and make the withholding and the corresponding amount. ”

Caveat:  The good attorney Spencer McMullen also noted that the furnishings of a furnished apartment can trigger the IVA  (16.5%),  but as this advice was published several years ago, talk with your tax attorney / accountant.

Interest Income for Foreign Residents of Mexico
There are multiple levels of interest rates depending on the source of the income, ranging from 4.9% to 35%.  e.g.  21% interest is owed on income “paid by banking institutions“.

“HOW FOREIGN(er) WHO RESIDES IN MEXICO SHOULD BE TAXED

Foreigners who reside and receive income in Mexico must meet the tax obligations imposed on them, like any national, the scheme for which they receive their income.”

This includes income from leasing or subleasing of real estate owned by the foreigner.

Foreigners who own property in Mexico ” are considered nonresidents if their main business location is not in this country, that is to say, if more than 50% of their annual income does not proceed from a wealth source located in Mexico, or if the center of their professional activities is not located in national territory, among other reasons. ”

http://www.sat.gob.mx/english/Paginas/English/residents_abroad.aspx

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**Death & Taxes?  Here’s Yucalandia’s offereing on death:

Preparations & Key Actions for Dealing with the Death of a Loved One in Mexico

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Happy Trails
… and …

Keep doing your best to color inside the lines,

steve

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Feel free to copy while giving proper attribution: YucaLandia/Surviving Yucatan.
© Steven M. Fry

Read-on MacDuff . . .

Sept. 10, 2017

Aduana agents at various US-Mexico border crossings are shifting their stance on whether the US state registration paper is sufficient to get a Temporary Import Permit for US-plated vehicles.  In the past, US state registration paperwork was sufficient, but now many Aduana agents are also requiring that we submit a copy of the vehicle’s title. …  Most recently, the Nuevo Laredo & Columbia Bridge Aduana agents have been refusing to issue TIPs with US starte registration documents, unless the vehicle owner also supplies a copy of the vehicle title.

Further, the fine attorney Lic. Spencer McMullen explains some additional details about additional problems that can occur if you do get your TIP with just registration paperwork:  ….  ” The HUGE issue is that while you can technically get a TIP with the vehicle registration, without the title your car will sit in impound if towed due to improper parking or accident. ”

An additional insight to handling the TIP process well:
“… Financed cars should get a US notary certified copy (of the title) with apostille to prepare for this eventuality. ”

So, as Aduana~SAT policies continue to evolve, we can save ourselves some hassles & headaches by following the latest guidance from good experts.

~ As in the past, Aduana officials recognize that Canadians do not get vdhicle titles, so their province’s registration papers are sufficient to get a TIP.

Happy Trails,
steve

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Full details on bringing vehicles into Mexico (Permanent Imports & Temporary Imports) can be found at:

Importing & Driving a Car in Mexico

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Feel free to copy while giving proper attribution: YucaLandia/Surviving Yucatan.
© Steven M. Fry

Read-on MacDuff . . .

Sept. 9, 2017

**See the end of the article, and the comments for new updates about a class action lawsuit and other new details on protecting our rights.  e.g.  The NY Atty General today asked Equifax to remove their buried ‘forced arbitration’ clause that applies to anyone who uses Equifax’s services, because the top NY Lawyer believes that using Equifax’s security service or even using Equifax’s ‘check’ function  could waive all of your rights to participate in the current national class action lawsuit against Equifax.

Public Service Announcement:
143 Million Credit Card Users   Personal Data   Stolen

The professionals at the Equifax credit reporting agency have again allowed hackers to steal our names, addresses, SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS, and credit information.  Equifax executives have known of the thefts since July, 2017, but they chose to not inform anyone that our personal information listed at this gigantic credit reporting agency was not sufficiently protected … and allowed to be stolen … again.

Even if you were never an Equifax customer,  they still lost:
~Your  Drivers License number,     ~ your Social Security Number (SSN),  ~ your birthdate,    and your address …. and the latest news update exposes that roughly 210,000 CREDIT CARD NUMBERS were also stolen “in May and July” 2017.

At least 50% of all American credit card holders personal information was lost.

Equifax is saying that it was NOT an inside job.  Equifax claims that the thieves entered through the Equifax website.

Equifax’s Chairman announced:
“This is clearly a disappointing event for our company …”

Editor’s Note:  Wow … Equifax really cares about the rest of us, whose information they lost, even when we have never used their services.

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KEY PRACTICAL POINTS:
Experts are saying that there is NO NEED to change internet passwords, because those were not stolen (unless you have an Equifax account and use that same Experian password on other sites). …

It is our names, driver’s license information, birthdates. personal addresses & Social
Security numbers**   that may be sold to identity-thieves … from Equifax’s third massive security leak ‘event’.

Solutions ~ Practical Actions to take Now:
1.  Check … don’t enroll* …  to see if your information was compromised:
Equifax has created a website, www.equifaxsecurity2017.com, to help consumers determine if their personal information was lost … and at risk.  Note…  Equifax will NOT NECESSARILY  give you confirmation of whether your information was compromised … Instead,   If you enter your  last name   and the last six digits of your Social Security number …  Equifax  “enrolls” you in their “protection service” …  but Equifax says this service may not start for several days.

Equifax ‘generously’ offers this “protection service” for 1 year, if we sighn up by Nov 21 …. which means Equifax will begin BILLING US  for using their service if we don’t cancel within a year. ….

*Saying things another way: … Be cautious about “enrolling” with Equifax’s efforts at damage control … to BE SURE THAT YOU DO NOT SIGN AWAY YOUR RIGHTS …

2. Sign up for some independent service that regularly frequently checks internet sites to see if your Social Security number appear there ~ as the expert computer programs then notify you by email or by text that your SSN is appearing on suspect websites data-bases.

Unfortunately,   THIS WILL NOT BE OVER IN JUST A YEAR.
Historically,  identity thieves have continued to sell our personal information for years after past security breaches at Equifax, Experian and TransUnion ~ hence the need for ongoing years of continuous monitoring of where our personal information is appearing.  Note that AVG is currently offering this SSN monitoring service, and some credit card companies are also offering  SSN monitoring services.

Here is an example link to Discover Card’s  free   SSN monitoring services to their card holders:

https://search.discovercard.com/search?q=social+security+number&getfields=MORT.MORD.DT.DD.description&site=internet_cm_MOR&client=internet_cm_privateMOR_fe&proxystylesheet=internet_cm_private_fe&output=xml_no_dtd&proxystylesheet=internet_cm_private_fe&ICMPGN=AC_NAV_L2_SEARCH&x=0&y=0

At this point, Yucalandia has no facts or data to support choosing one SSN monitoring service over another.

3.  Monitor your credit card statements for suspicious activity.

4.  Monitor your Credit Records by requesting a copy of your personal report:
https://www.annualcreditreport.com/index.action

5.   Contact one or all 3 of the USA’s big credit monitoring agencies, and consider freezing  your credit reports at all 3 agencies because thieves can use the information stolen from Equifax … to open accounts with creditors that use Experian or TransUnion.

Unfortunately,   THIS WILL NOT BE OVER IN JUST A YEAR.   Historically,  identity thieves have continued to sell our personal information for years after past security breaches at Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.

Final Notes:
The big 3 credit monitoring agencies have been regularly losing our personal data (to thieves) since at least 2012, so, it may be time to contact your local Congressman & your 2 Senators and demand that the US government make changes in the regulations …  because

… Do any of us really find it acceptable that Equifax has known of the thefts of over 143 million American’s personal information,    but said nothing for over a month?

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**As the story continues to break~unfold,  Equifax was not fully open in their initial reports of the data breaches:
~In addition to our  Drivers License numbers, our Social Security Numbers (SSN), our birthdates & addresses …. Independent sources now expose the troubling additional news that roughly 210,000 CREDIT CARD NUMBERS were also stolen “in May and July” 2017.

This article also describes a class action lawsuit filed by citizens to try to recover some of the projected $69 billion in losses and harm caused by Equifax’s insufficient website security.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/equifax-stung-with-multi-billion-dollar-class-action-lawsuit-after-massive-data-breach

FURTHER NEWS about Equifax’s efforts at Damage Control:
Accoding to RawStory:   Equifax is trying to get us customers to sign waivers,  as Equifax tries to weasel out of potential $billions they may owe us from the class action lawsuit mentioned above.

*Saying things another way: … Be cautious about “enrolling” with Equifax’s efforts at damage control … to BE SURE THAT YOU DO NOT SIGN AWAY YOUR RIGHTS …

http://www.rawstory.com/2017/09/busted-equifax-forces-hacked-customers-to-waive-right-to-sue-in-exchange-for-using-its-credit-service/

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Feel free to copy while giving proper attribution: YucaLandia/Surviving Yucatan.
© Steven M. Fry

Read-on MacDuff . . .

Sept. 7, 2017 Update

For people who do not track multiple expat forums from around Mexico, there are some real-world updates  that are worth noting regarding both ~ taxes on Mexican sourced income~ and on “tourist” visas.

Example:  An acquaintance who has spent the few past winters in Yucatan as a snow bird, reports that he was unable to get a 180-day visa in Mexico City this time.
…  “For the first time flew into Mexico City during my recent trip to the States, and immigration stopped me from coming through as they said I could not stay for 180 days on a tourist visa. In Cancun, they have approved every time. Mexico City held me for 2-3 hours causing me to miss my connection [to Merida] and
… ~ having to sleep overnight in the airport ~ . ”

Since their 2012 rule changes, INM has been gradually cracking down on foreigners’ abuses of “tourist” 180 day Visitante visas.   INM’s general policy is that if we are frequently living in Mexico, even part-time, and that if we are working in Mexico (especially if we are renting out our Mexican property for income),  then we really must

1.  Get a Residency Visa  … either a Residente Temporal or Residente Permanente Visa
See ~ Current Rules and Procedures for Immigration, Visiting, and Staying in Mexico

2.  If we have Mexican sourced income, we must register with SAT/Hacienda by getting an RFC number
and
3.  We must report that income from Mexico & pay taxes on it.

A recent first-hand report from a popular expat forum described some dramatic new shifts in enforcement of INM immigration & SAT tax regulations:

“A couple, which has been “coming and going on 180 day tourist permits (FMMs)”: technically not a “tourist permit”, but permission to be in Mexico, but not to work in Mexico, for a short period of up to 180 days] for several years” got off the plane recently, “they were then asked to step into the interrogation room and to hand over their phone and laptop, along with the password for their email. “

“They hold an on-line job from outside of Mexico. They were questioned about where they live, how long and what was their source of income. The agent then discovered an email on the computer that was an exchange regarding a VBRO email. It was a rental confirmation for a house that they manage for a Canadian friend. The money went into a Canadian account but as far as he was concerned they had income in Mexico. ”

“The lecture they got included three main points. They had been residing in Mexico on FMMs intended for Tourists. They would need a Resident Visa to stay in Mexico. They were not permitted to work in Mexico. ´Managing´ Mexican property is a lucrative activity. Lastly they would be responsible for paying tax on the rental income. [Although given a 30-day tourist permit, if they wished to return, the immigration officer said they would need “to visit a Mexican Consulate and apply for residency.”

This report describes the increase in several trends of the Mexican Government no longer tolerating foreigners breaking Mexican laws.

1.  As Mexico’s INM, SAT / Hacinda / Aduana agencies gradually get all their local office computers connected to national databases, individual government agents (including clerks) can now pull up our personal records of past entrances & exits from Mexico and our past import/export & income generating activities, including violations of Mexican law.

2. The report (and many other similar recent internet reports by expats & ‘tourists’)  pretty clearly shows that some INM airport offices now are more closely scrutinizing foreigners trying to get 180 Day “tourist” Visitante visas when flying-into Mexico.

3.  INM no longer presumes  that foreigners are somehow entitled to automatically stay up to 6 months on a “tourist” Visitante visa simply because they exited & then returned to Mexico.

4.  We can no longer assume that INM & SAT/Hacienda will not track down income foreigners get from lucrative activities in Mexico.   This includes operating rentals or even managing rentals, pet sitting, house sitting,  etc.

5.  People who intend to earn Mexican sourced income need to get visas that allow working in Mexico:   Visitante con Permiso de Trabajo …  Residente Temporal with permission to participate in lucrative activities (like working or earning rental income) … and Residente Permanente visas.   These visas must be applied for outside Mexico at your local Mexican Consulate … and yes, some Consulates (like Laredo, San Antonio, Chicago, Portland & Phoenix) are far more friendly~lenient in granting these visas than the Mexican Consulates in California, Houston, Boston, et al.

See ~ Current Rules and Procedures for Immigration, Visiting, and Staying in Mexico

Note that foreigners who own real estate & rent it out …  owe 25% taxes (“without deduction”) on the rental income.   Details at:
http://www.sat.gob.mx/english/Paginas/English/how_do_foreigners_pay_taxes.aspx

6.  Foreigners who get visas that allow them to work must also register their work with SAT / Hacienda, reporting income using their RFCs.  Note that the RFC’s generated by Mexican banks are generally not valid for use for reporting & paying taxes on Mexican sourced income.

Happy Trails
… and …

Keep doing your best to color inside the lines,
steve

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Feel free to copy while giving proper attribution: YucaLandia/Surviving Yucatan.
© Steven M. Fry

Read-on MacDuff . . .

August 27, 2017 Update**

August 21, 2017