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Upcoming Live Webinar: U.S.-Mexican Tax and Estate Planning for Cross-Border Clients

Important Information or US Citizens Investing in Mexico I am pleased to announce that I will be speaking in an upcoming Strafford Live Webinar, "U.S.-Mexican Tax and Estate Planning for Cross-Border Clients" scheduled for Tuesday, November 14, 1:00pm-2:30pm EST. The lengthy Mexico-U.S. border and extensive ties between the two countries result in significant economic migration. Many U.S. citizens and permanent residents have property interests in Mexico and vice-versa. Estate planning counsel and advisers must identify the tax and wealth transfer planning rules and opportunities specific to U.S. and Mexican citizens with assets and presence in both countries. Mexican law has neither an estate...

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Risky Business: Extending a Tourist Card Through a Border Run

Many foreigners living in Mexico enter as a tourist which typically grants them a 180 day stay. Once their 180-days is up, they leave Mexico and make a “border run.” For residents of the Riviera Maya, this may mean a quick trip to Belize in hopes of re-entering Mexico and gaining another 180-day visitors card. Although the act of leaving Mexico and returning later is not illegal, many times these border runs entail a bribe to the official on the other side making this an illegal and risky process. Mexican Immigration authorities also see this as an abuse of the...

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Who Will Inherit Your Property in Mexico?

Many foreigners invest in real estate in Mexico to benefit from the high returns on investment that this market offers, to enjoy their leisure time here by owning vacation property, to retire, or a combination of all of the above. Ironically, few foreigners give any thought to what will occur to their property in the event of death. The purpose of this article is to provide some insights on how Mexican Law will deal with property owned by foreigners upon death and, hopefully, will provide foreigners with some suggestions on how to deal with this situation. A foreigner with property in...

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Is Trump Using a Travel Warning For NAFTA Renegotiation?

Recent travel advisories from the US warning Americans not to travel to Mexico have people questioning the motive. Journalist Andres Oppenheimer’s recent editorial in the Miami Herald discusses the recent travel warning which now includes Quintana Roo and Baja California Sur, where popular tourist destinations Cancún and Los Cabos are located, stating that this warning should not be taken too seriously. Oppenheimer wrote, “The so-called travel warning of the US Department of State should not be taken too seriously since the level of crime in some North American cities is much higher than that of Cancun or Playa del Carmen.”...

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The Ejido, a Mexican Concept Misunderstood by Foreigners

Plots of land located near the beach, specifically in Playa del Carmen, Cancún, Puerto Vallarta, Oaxaca, and the Riviera Nayarit are most likely part of an Ejido. Foreigners frequently ask, “What is the significance of an Ejido property and why am I prohibited from buying land there?” An Ejido or ‘propiedad comunal’ is an area of communal land mainly used for agriculture, on which community members farm designated plots and collectively maintain communal holdings. While this was the original intention and was once an accurate description of Ejido activity, today many Ejido properties are abandoned, with no farming activity taking place. Why...

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