The SHCP sweetens the pill, but now it costs more
In a statement that surely caused more commotion than a free escape in the middle of the avenue, the Secretary of Finance and Public Credit (SHCP) announced with great fanfare – well, rather with small print and bureaucratic jargon – that the program for the definitive import of used vehicles will continue to exist during 2026. What a relief! But of course, like all good government news, it comes with a litany of conditions that would make an accountant cry. The grace of “taking advantage” of 2,500 pesos, that sweet incentive that made bringing a car from the north seem like a bargain, has passed away. Now, the legalization of your foreign vehicle will require the corresponding payment of a real tariff and jumping through all the administrative hoops that the brilliant minds at the Treasury can think of. Everything, they say, to make the process “legal and transparent.” Because before, I suppose, it was something opaque and questionable, but we better not mention that.
The federal agency, in a display of crystal clear clarity, reminded citizens that they can intern their used car “under the protection of the provisions.” A phrase as comforting and specific as “follow the instructions.” The really juicy thing, the other decree secretly published in the Official Gazette just before New Year (typical so that no one reads it between toasts and grapes), which basically buried the incentives for the famous “chocolate cars” So, how much is it going to cost you the whim of driving in a car with history? Get comfortable and get out your calculator. For the border region, if your treasure on wheels is between five and nine years old, the SHCP applies a friendly 1% tariff. If your carriage is older than many television series, with more than a decade behind it, things get serious: a 10% tax. For the rest of the country, things are less sweet: a 10% tariff for vehicles more than eight years old. Additionally, the car must be in impeccable physical, mechanical and environmental condition. Basically, they ask for a used car that looks new, but paying taxes as if it were an imported relic. And in case anyone thought that this regularization circus had not been profitable, the Treasury is quick to release figures with pride. Until November 2025, 2 million 987 thousand 839 vehicles were legalized. That mountain of paperwork and payments of 2,500 pesos per unit generated a whopping 7,302 million pesos for the public coffers. Money that, they assure us with a gesture of virtuosity, was allocated to repaving works. A delicious irony: the money from legalizing cars that may have been driving on irregular roads is used to fix the streets. Almost poetic. In summary, the message for the “countryman” excited about bringing his trophy from the United States is clear: the 2,500 peso party is over. Now it’s time to pay the full bill, with fees depending on the age of the vehicle and its final destination. A great business that stops being a sweet escape and becomes another tax with a bitter chocolate flavor. Because in the end, in the country of surprise regulations and midnight decrees, the only certainty is that the Treasury always finds a way to pass the cash register. Did you find this new measure ironic? Share this note on your social networks and make more drivers aware of the “sweet” price of legality. Explore more content related to tax and automotive topics on our site.The new lifeline (or prices)
