How to run payroll in Mexico

In Mexico, most employers pay employees monthly, typically on the 30th or last working day of the month. Here's the complete payroll cycle.

Payment frequency and timing

Mexican labor law requires monthly salary payments for most employees. You must pay by the last day of each month, though many companies choose the 30th as their standard pay date.

For hourly workers, you can pay weekly or bi-weekly. Monthly remains the most common practice across all employment types.

Payment deadlines are strict. Late payments can result in penalties of 25% of the delayed amount plus interest charges.

Mandatory 13th month payment (Aguinaldo)

Mexico requires all employers to pay aguinaldo, a mandatory 13th month bonus. It's equivalent to at least 15 days of salary.

You must pay aguinaldo by December 20th each year. Employees who worked less than a full year receive a prorated amount based on their service time.

The calculation is straightforward: monthly salary ÷ 30 days × 15 days = minimum aguinaldo amount. Many companies pay more than the minimum as a retention tool.

Holiday and vacation pay

Employees earn vacation pay based on their length of service, starting with 6 days after one year of employment. The rate increases to 8 days after the second year, then by 2 days every subsequent year until reaching 12 days. After that, it increases by 2 days every 5 years.

Vacation premium is mandatory. You must pay an additional 25% premium on top of regular vacation pay. This means if an employee takes 6 vacation days, you pay for 7.5 days total.

Most companies pay vacation when it's taken. Some pay it in advance during popular vacation periods like Christmas or Easter.

Payment methods and requirements

Bank transfers are mandatory for all employees in Mexico. You can't pay salaries in cash except in very limited circumstances with government approval.

Employees must have Mexican bank accounts to receive their salaries. International companies often partner with local banks to help new hires open accounts.

All payments must be in Mexican pesos (MXN), even if your company operates in other currencies.

Payslip requirements

Every payslip must include specific information in Spanish:

• Employee's full name and RFC (tax ID)
• Employer's company name and RFC
• Pay period dates
• Gross salary breakdown
• All deductions (taxes, social security, other)
• Net pay amount
• Days worked and any overtime

Payslips must be delivered by the payment date. Late or incomplete payslips can trigger labor authority inspections and fines starting at MX$4,500 in 2026.

Think you just withhold federal tax? Mexico adds state taxes that catch many employers off guard.

Mexico's federal income tax uses progressive rates from 1.92% to 35%, but you'll also handle state taxes that vary by location. The good news? Mexico's tax system is straightforward once you know the brackets and deadlines.

Income tax brackets

Mexico uses annual brackets converted to monthly withholding. Here are the 2026 federal rates:

Annual Income (MX$)	Monthly Income (MX$)	Tax Rate
MX$0 - MX$8,952	MX$0 - MX$746	1.92%
MX$8,953 - MX$75,984	MX$747 - MX$6,332	6.40%
MX$75,985 - MX$133,536	MX$6,333 - MX$11,128	10.88%
MX$133,537 - MX$155,229	MX$11,129 - MX$12,936	16.00%
MX$155,230 - MX$185,852	MX$12,937 - MX$15,488	21.36%
MX$185,853 - MX$374,837	MX$15,489 - MX$31,236	23.52%
MX$374,838 - MX$590,668	MX$31,237 - MX$49,222	30.00%
MX$590,669 - MX$1,127,926	MX$49,223 - MX$93,994	32.00%
Above MX$1,127,926	Above MX$93,994	35.00%

The first MX$746 monthly (MX$8,952 annually) is tax-free for all employees.

Withholding requirements

You're responsible for calculating and withholding federal income tax from each paycheck. Use the monthly brackets above with Mexico's official tax tables from SAT.

File monthly withholding reports by the 17th of the following month. Miss this deadline and face penalties starting at MX$1,920 for small employers.

Submit annual reconciliation (Declaración Anual) by April 30th for the previous tax year. This reconciles total withholdings against employees' actual tax liability.

Tax registration

Register for RFC (Registro Federal de Contribuyentes) through SAT before your first payroll. You'll need:

• Company incorporation documents
• Legal representative identification
• Proof of business address
• Bank account details

Processing takes 5-10 business days. You can't withhold taxes legally without this registration.

Special tax considerations

Non-resident employees face different withholding rates. If they don't have Mexican tax residency, withhold 30% flat rate on employment income unless a tax treaty applies.

Tax treaties reduce withholding for residents of treaty countries. The US-Mexico treaty often reduces rates to 15-20% depending on the situation.

State taxes apply in some states. Nuevo León charges 2% on income above certain thresholds. Check your specific state requirements.

Common tax mistakes

Using wrong tax tables - SAT updates tables annually. Using outdated brackets means incorrect withholding and penalties during audits.

Missing state tax obligations - Assuming only federal tax applies. Some states have income taxes that add to your withholding requirements.

Late monthly filings - The 17th deadline is firm. Late penalties compound monthly and trigger audit flags.

Incorrect non-resident treatment - Applying resident rates to non-residents or vice versa. This creates significant under or over-withholding issues.

Employer contributions in Mexico add 26.5% to every salary. Budget for it.

Contribution breakdown

Mexico splits social security costs between employers and employees, but you'll pay the larger share on most contributions.

Contribution Type	Employer Rate	Employee Rate	Salary Cap
IMSS (Health & Disability)	20.4%	3.15%	25x UMA*
Housing Fund (INFONAVIT)	5.0%	0%	25x UMA*
Retirement (SAR)	2.0%	0%	25x UMA*
Workers' Risk Insurance	0.54%-15.15%**	0%	25x UMA*
Total Average	27.94%	3.15%

*UMA (Unit of Measurement and Update) = MX$108.57 daily for 2026 **Risk insurance varies by industry classification

Total employer cost example

For a MX$60,000 monthly salary:

• Base salary: MX$60,000
• IMSS contributions: MX$12,240
• INFONAVIT: MX$3,000
• SAR retirement: MX$1,200
• Risk insurance: MX$324 (average rate)
• Total monthly cost: MX$76,764
• Cost multiplier: 1.28 (28% more than base salary)

Your annual employer cost for this employee reaches MX$921,168.

Contribution caps and ceilings

Most contributions cap at 25 times the daily UMA, which equals MX$2,714.25 daily or MX$82,111 monthly in 2026.

Once an employee's salary exceeds this threshold, your contribution amounts stay fixed. This creates significant savings for high earners - a MX$150,000 salary only requires the same contribution amount as MX$82,111.

The risk insurance premium varies dramatically by industry. Manufacturing companies pay up to 15.15%, while office-based businesses typically pay the minimum 0.54%.

Registration requirements

Register with IMSS within five business days of hiring any employee. You'll need:

• Company tax registration (RFC)
• Employee's CURP and RFC
• Employment contract
• Medical examination results
• Workplace risk classification

INFONAVIT registration happens automatically through IMSS, but you must activate your employer account within 30 days.

Payment deadlines

Pay all contributions by the 17th of the following month. For December payroll, you have until January 17th.

Late payments trigger a 20% penalty plus daily interest charges. IMSS can freeze your bank accounts for unpaid contributions exceeding 90 days.

Submit monthly contribution reports through the IMSS SUA system by the same deadline. The system calculates exact amounts based on each employee's salary and days worked.

Mexico has 7 mandatory public holidays in 2026. Work on these days? Pay double.

But leave and benefits go way beyond holidays. Mexico's labor laws create specific payroll obligations that you need to calculate correctly. Miss the vacation premium or mess up maternity leave payments, and you'll face penalties.

Annual leave

Mexico requires 6 vacation days after the first year of service. That increases by 2 days each year until year 4, then by 2 days every 5 years.

The tricky part? You must pay a vacation premium of 25% on top of regular vacation pay. So if an employee takes 6 days vacation at MX$500 daily salary, you pay MX$3,750 total (MX$3,000 + MX$750 premium).

Employees can carry over unused vacation for up to one year. When they leave, you must pay out all accrued vacation days plus the 25% premium.

Sick leave

Employees get unlimited sick leave, but payment splits between you and social security. You pay 100% of salary for the first 3 days. After that, IMSS (social security) pays 60% from day 4 onwards.

You need a medical certificate from IMSS for absences longer than 3 days. No certificate means no social security payment - and you're not required to pay either.

This creates a payroll adjustment: deduct the IMSS payment from your regular salary calculation once the employee receives their social security benefit.

Parental leave

Maternity leave

Women get 84 days (12 weeks) of maternity leave at 100% pay. IMSS pays this directly to the employee, not through your payroll. But you still need to process the leave and ensure no salary payments during this period.

The leave splits as 42 days before birth and 42 days after, though employees can transfer up to 4 pre-birth days to post-birth.

Paternity leave

Men get 5 days of paternity leave at 100% pay. Unlike maternity leave, you pay this directly through payroll - there's no IMSS reimbursement.

Public holidays 2026

Date	Holiday	Notes
January 1	New Year's Day	Mandatory
February 2	Constitution Day	Moved to Monday
March 16	Benito Juárez's Birthday	Moved to Monday
May 1	Labor Day	Mandatory
September 16	Independence Day	Mandatory
November 16	Revolution Day	Moved to Monday
December 25	Christmas Day	Mandatory

Work on mandatory holidays (January 1, May 1, September 16, December 25) requires triple pay - regular daily wage plus 200% premium. For moved holidays, you pay double - regular wage plus 100% premium.

Mandatory benefits affecting payroll

Aguinaldo (Christmas bonus)

You must pay at least 15 days of salary before December 20th each year. Calculate this as daily salary × 15, based on the employee's salary on December 20th.

Employees who worked less than a year get a proportional amount: (days worked ÷ 365) × 15 days of salary.

Profit sharing (PTU)

Companies with positive taxable income must distribute 10% of profits to employees by May 30th. The amount depends on salary and days worked during the previous year.

This creates a significant payroll event in Q2 that requires careful calculation and withholding of income tax on the distribution.

Employment contracts in Mexico must include specific salary breakdowns, work schedules, and benefit details or they're legally invalid. Miss these elements and labor authorities can fine you up to MX$483,840 per violation in 2026.

What monthly filings are required?

Tax and social security submissions

You'll submit three monthly reports through the SAT (tax authority) and IMSS (social security) portals by the 17th of each following month.

SUA system (IMSS portal) requires:

• Employee salary modifications
• New hires and terminations
• Monthly contribution payments

SAT portal needs:

• ISR (income tax) withholdings
• Monthly payroll summary (DIOT)
• Employer contribution calculations

Late submissions trigger penalties starting at MX$1,930 per day for tax filings and MX$965 per day for IMSS reports.

Payroll tax payments

Transfer actual tax and contribution amounts by the 17th through authorized banks or the online payment system. The 2026 penalty rate is 1.13% monthly on unpaid amounts, plus inflation adjustments.

What annual reporting is needed?

Year-end reconciliation

Submit the annual tax return by March 31, 2027 for the 2026 tax year. This reconciles all monthly filings and calculates final employer obligations.

Employees receive their constancia de percepciones y retenciones (annual tax statement) by February 28, 2027. You must deliver these statements to all employees who worked during 2026, even if they left during the year.

Profit sharing calculations

Calculate and distribute PTU (profit sharing) by May 30, 2027 based on 2026 profits. Employees who worked at least 60 days during 2026 qualify for payments. The maximum individual payment is three months' salary or the average PTU paid by the company, whichever is lower.

Vacation premium verification

Annual audits check that employees received their prima vacacional (vacation bonus) equal to at least 25% of vacation pay. Document all vacation payments and bonuses paid throughout 2026.

What employee documentation is mandatory?

Employment contracts

Every employee needs a written contract within 28 days of starting work. Contracts must specify:

• Exact monthly salary and payment frequency
• Daily and weekly work schedules
• Vacation days and Christmas bonus amounts
• Job duties and workplace location

Payslip requirements

Monthly payslips must include detailed breakdowns of:

• Base salary and overtime payments
• All deductions with specific amounts
• Net pay calculations
• Year-to-date totals for taxes and contributions

Missing any required payslip element results in MX$4,838 to MX$48,384 fines per occurrence.

Record retention

Keep all payroll records for five years from the last payment date. This includes contracts, payslips, time records, and tax documentation. Labor inspectors can request any document during this period.

Store records in Spanish or provide certified translations. Digital records are acceptable if they include electronic signatures and timestamps.

What are the penalty amounts?

Violation	2026 Penalty Range
Late monthly tax filing	MX$1,930 - MX$19,300 per day
Missing contract elements	MX$48,384 - MX$483,840 per violation
Incorrect payslip information	MX$4,838 - MX$48,384 per occurrence
Unpaid social security contributions	1.13% monthly + 20% surcharge
Missing vacation premium	MX$48,384 - MX$96,768 per employee
Unregistered employees	MX$96,768 - MX$483,840 per employee

Which agencies oversee payroll compliance?

Primary regulatory bodies

SAT (Servicio de Administración Tributaria) handles all tax compliance through their online portal at sat.gob.mx. Register for your RFC tax ID and digital signature (FIEL) here.

IMSS (Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social) manages social security through the SUA system at imss.gob.mx. All employee registrations and monthly filings happen through this platform.

STPS (Secretaría del Trabajo y Previsión Social) conducts labor inspections and enforces employment law compliance. They don't have online filings but investigate workplace violations.

Inspection frequency

IMSS audits approximately 15% of registered employers annually, focusing on contribution accuracy and employee classification. SAT conducts desk audits on 8% of taxpayers and field audits on 2% each year.

Labor inspections typically occur after employee complaints or during random compliance checks in high-violation industries like manufacturing and retail.

2026 brought several important payroll changes to Mexico. Here's what you need to update.

Minimum wage increase - Effective January 1, 2026 Mexico's general minimum wage increased 12% to MX$207.44 per day, up from MX$185.56 in 2025. The Northern Border Free Zone rate rose to MX$312.41 per day from MX$278.80.

This affects salary calculations for employees earning minimum wage and impacts various labor law calculations tied to minimum wage multiples.

Updated UMA value - Effective February 1, 2026 The Unit of Measurement and Update (UMA) increased to MX$108.57 per day from MX$103.74 in 2025. This 4.7% increase affects social security contribution calculations and various legal thresholds.

IMSS contribution adjustments - Effective January 1, 2026 While base rates remained unchanged, the salary cap for IMSS contributions increased to 25 times the UMA (MX$2,714.25 per day). This affects high earners whose contributions were previously capped at the old limit.

Digital tax receipt requirements - Effective March 1, 2026 All employers must now issue digital tax receipts (CFDIs) for payroll payments within 24 hours of payment, down from the previous 72-hour window. The new requirement includes stricter validation rules for employee data.

Upcoming changes Starting July 2026, Mexico will implement new vacation entitlement rules, increasing minimum vacation from 6 to 12 days in the first year of employment. Plan your accrual calculations and policies accordingly.