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Lobo Hambriento

Feb 3, 2003, 11:42 AM

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If I am an employee of US company temporarily in Mexico (FM3), do I have to pay Mexican Income Tax?

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I hope someone knows the answer to my questions.

I work for a market research company in San Antonio and I would like to convince my boss to let me work in Mexico. My job requires mostly Internet research and telephone interviews, so it doesn't matter where I live. Theoretically, I could do my job just as well orbiting around the earth in the Space Station as in an office building or home office.

This is the deal: I love Mexico and I would like to live there while keeping my US job. Since my job is classified as a "Business Visitor" type of activity under the "Market Research and Design" clause, I believe I am eligible for a one-year FM3 non-immigrant visa, renewable for a total of five years (according to the INAMI website.) One of the requirements is that my employer certify that I will be paid in dollars from a foreign source. This would be SO cool since my US salary and benefits would go A LOT further in Mexico than in Texas.

My idea is to rent a nice house in Guanajuato and set up a home office with high-speed internet connection and long distance service so that I can be in daily contact with my manager in San Antonio, as well as conduct all my internet research and e-mail my articles to the home office when they are complete.

Now, this is my MAIN question, which could make or break my decision to go ahead with this plan. Since I will be paid by my American emplyer in dollars, and I will remain on the US home-company payroll, in which country do I have to pay income tax? In US or in Mexico? Now, if it turns out that I have to pay income tax in BOTH countries, to IRS AND HACIENDA, well, forget it! I'll just stay in Texas!

As a secondary question, in the scenario that I have presented (FM3 visa paid by a foreign employer as a remote worker), will I be eligible to enroll in IMSS? OR are there any private health insurance alternatives comparable to Blue Cross and Blue Shield in the US, etc.? Any help on these questions would be greatly appreciated!

--Antonio in San Antonio

rcota

Feb 8, 2003, 9:26 AM

Post #2 of 2 (469 views)

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Re: [Lobo Hambriento] If I am an employee of US company temporarily in Mexico (FM3), do I have to pa

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Sorry for me is more easy in spanish.
Segun entiendo tu no vas a tener patron (Boss) en Mexico ni pondras tu oficina en local especial sino trabajaras desde tu casa. Bueno si tu trabajo sera sin patron en Mexico, y solo tendras tus pagos directamente desde EUA no debes pagar a Hacienda nada porque tu fuente de ingresos no es nadie registrado en Mexico.
Tal vez debas considerar el tipo de visa a solicitar, a uno no de trabajo sino de descanso lo que hacen los retirados.
Y por el IMSS tampoco te obliga ya que tu patron no esta en el pais.
Solo obligan los impuestos cuando tengas ingresos directamente dentro del pais, porque eso seria como que estuvieras comerciando en mexico.