• OPPOSITION: President Andrés Manuel López Obrador remains dead set against any tax relief for the private sector -either in the form of lower taxes or even the postponement of filing deadlines- despite a global economic turmoil that could send Mexico into a deep recession.
• TAX DAY: While in the US federal government moved tax-payment day from April15 to July 15, the Mexican federal government is opposed to any postponement. The deadline for filing federal tax returns for companies is March 31st and for individuals is April 1st.
• BAD HABITS: “No, nothing of that”, said López Obrador when asked about moving tax day, “They believe that they are going to be saved…..If they do not pay taxes and do not contribute, there is no collection and we could not provide (pensions) to the elderly and poor people”.
• REQUESTS: With banks like BBVA forecasting a 4.5% economic contraction in 2020, several Mexican industries have been asking for tax relief in many forms. On Wednesday, a coalition of national businesses in the tourism sector (CNET) asked to postpone tax filing deadlines for 6 months.
