Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Setting Up a Business in Mexico: What is a FIEL?

Part of the process of setting up your business in Mexico involves getting yourself registered with Hacienda (Mexico's version of the Internal Revenue Service).  Once you obtain your RFC and your CURP, you will need to get a FIEL. 

What is a FIEL?

FIEL stands for Firma Electronica Advanzada.  The Firma Electronica is a fairly recent addition to the Hacienda requirements. 

The FIEL is based on PKI (Public Key Infrastructure) which means that 2 codes or keys are used for transmitting encrypted messages:

1.  Public key- available to all users via Internet
2.  Private key- only known by the user

The purpose of the FIEL is to allow taxpayers to access their information  and make transactions online in a safe, private manner. 

Some of the transactions available using your FIEL:
Customs documentation
Fiscal documents

For more information (in Spanish) visit: 
http://www.sat.gob.mx/sitio_internet/e_sat/tu_firma/default.asp


The FIEL is very easy to get.  Make an appointment at Hacienda and you will get your FIEL with a period of minutes (no more than an hour depending on how busy they are)! 

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