Mexican Tax Authority Revokes Charity Permits for Over 100 NGOs

Mexico City — Mexico’s Tax Administration Service (SAT) has revoked authorizations for more than 100 non-governmental organizations to receive tax-deductible donations, significantly impacting their operations nationwide.

The move, announced by the SAT and the Ministry of Finance and Public Credit, follows a review of compliance with fiscal obligations. Authorities said the permits were canceled because some NGOs failed to meet legal requirements, particularly regarding transparency, financial reporting, and operating according to their stated social purposes.

In addition to revoked authorizations, other organizations have been removed from the official registry, limiting their ability to receive resources under the tax-deductible donation scheme.

Current tax legislation states that organizations that do not regain authorization within a specified period must transfer their resources to another authorized charity. However, the SAT itself is revoking these permits.

One example is the Mexican Institute for Competitiveness (IMCO), which stated in a communication that it promptly processed accreditation of its activities to obtain donor organization status from the Ministry of Science, Humanities, Technology and Innovation (SECIHTI). The SAT determined that SECIHTI lacked the necessary authority to grant “authorized donor” status.

Other affected groups include Mexicanos Primero and México Evalua, organizations focused on education, economics, and public policy analysis, some of which are known for producing independent studies and evaluations of government performance.

These associations are part of organized civil society, operating as non-profits aimed at addressing social, environmental, or public interest causes, largely funded by donations.

The impact of this measure could affect these organizations’ operational capacity, as donations represent one of their primary funding sources for sustaining projects and programs.

In this context, international organizations like Amnesty International have warned about a trend in some Latin American countries toward implementing stricter regulations for NGOs, which could affect their work.

“This is not isolated. Across the Americas, a trend is growing: ‘Anti-NGO laws.’ Governments say they promote transparency… but in reality they seek to control and weaken civil society,” the association stated on social media regarding the SAT’s recent actions.

Contrast With Fast-Tracked Approval for AMLO-Linked NGO

These restrictions by the tax authority contrast with the recent approval of “Humanidad con América Latina A.C.,” an NGO linked to former president Andrés Manuel López Obrador, which obtained SAT authorization to receive donations within days.

According to analysis.mx, such procedures typically take three to nine months, but for the former Mexican president, it took only days to enable donations destined for purchasing oil, gasoline, food, and medicine for Cuba.

This civil association belongs to Carlos Pellicer López, nephew of poet Carlos Pellicer Cámara, former PRI candidate in Tabasco and close to AMLO, who reportedly created the organization in February and by March 9 it was ready to receive donations.

Journalist Gildo Garza noted that converting an NGO into an authorized donor requires articles of incorporation, public registration, tax ID, verifiable fiscal address, and complete SAT validation, making it a lengthy process. He suggested that Humanidad con América Latina A.C. “smells of simulation and corruption within the SAT.”