Brian Dalziel

In the past obtaining an RFC Federal Taxpayers Registry ID was not mandatory -- going forward it is. That's because the RFC number is moving beyond being used for tax purposes only and is becoming an needed personal identification number for many types of services, such as opening a CFE electicity account, signing up for internet service, or making appointments at government offices that have nothing to do with taxation. Today all Mexican citizens older than 18 years old must have an RFC. Since the RFC number is being used so widely, it's best for all foreign residents to have one too.

Do you know which Facebook group is the best to follow to keep up to date about land use incursions? I think there's "Ajijic Junta Vecinal (No Al Cemento)" and "Ajijic Observatorio Ciudadano" but perhaps there are others to watch.

If you're in Chapala looking for take-out, try "Riberas Fresh". It's located on Calle. Juaréz between C. Lopez Cortilla and C. Degollado. It's a tiny place that's only been open a couple of weeks. The salad I ordered was crispy and fresh. Their Italian dressing was flavorful, not oily. For the salad they offered me crispy flour chips on top rather than chunky croutons. I took home a Teriyaki Rice bowl with meaty chicken and vegetables. And a tasty Pesto Wrap with chicken, lettuce, spinach, onion, peppers, vegetables, and just the right amount of cheese. (Forgive me, but I am old-school and refuse employ that over-used and oh-so-modern adjective "yummy".) They have a great menu and a wonderful cook -- give it a try.

This is the tax advisor I use (see image attached below). I sold property in the USA in 2021. But I have never bought or sold property here in Mexico.

Susannah, Some of the understanding you expressed above is correct. But you have to consider the distinction between between vacation pay and vacation time. Vacation pay in Mexico is paid out in cash every year, regardless of whether an employee actually takes their vacation or not. There is no flexibility in that regard. Vacation pay by law consists of an employee's base rate of pay plus an addition 25% on top of that. This is intended to provide employees with extra cash to spend during their vacation. Vacation time could have some flexibility but only if the employee and the employer agree to it. That would mean an employee who works on their vacation day and is paid for that day in one year could carry over their vacation time to the next year and take an unpaid day off at a later date in the future. But that would not be standard. And that future unpaid day off cannot be compensated for in cash -- in Mexico you cannot pay someone extra to not take their vacation. And there is a limit to these types of agreements -- the unpaid vacation time must be taken within a period of six months.

Vacation pay in Mexico is the same whether workers take their vacation days or not. Workers are either paid when they take their days off or at the end of the year for the days they did not take off. But the amount is the same. There is no premium or bonus paid for workers who choose to work on their vacation days. The rationale for this is to encourage workers to take their vacations and rest instead of working on their days off to receive extra pay. Of course, most sensible employers would choose to pay an employee extra if they volunteered to work on their days off, but that is not required by the law. Holidays are different -- working on a holiday means the employee receives regular pay plus double-time pay on top of that.

According to one of the news articles referenced above, businesses can receive a credit for the VAT they have already paid for these goods or request a refund of the VAT accrued. Therefore, there would be no need to boost their prices for that.

Certain smartphones can also provide a feature to monitor your “walking steadiness”, not to notify others but to alert yourself that your balance, stability, gait, and coordination may be putting you at risk for falling down. https://screenrant.com/apple-iphone-walking-steadiness-feature-ios-15/

Wish I could get that to work -- it never does for me.

I agree with Mainecoons. BofA Bank of America informed my neighbor recently that they will no longer be processing paper checks. Anyone using checks may want to look into various ways of transfering funds electronically to prepare themselves for the future.

Perhaps the Chapala police should be alerted because, based on this discussion, a riot might break out when when Lakeside Medical Group begins presenting their Medicare Advantage Plan seminars at the American Legion this week.

If I were a duck, I'm not sure I would hang out in a place that sells bird wings!

It's hard to argue with English author Thomas Kyd who first said back around the year 1590 that, " . . . evil news fly faster still than good". But here's a piece of good news for a change -- the Semáforo de riesgo epidémico, or COVID-19 warning "traffic light", for Jalisco state will return to the status of "yellow" beginning September 6, 2021. Source: https://coronavirus.gob.mx/semaforo

Clearly, the message sent earlier in the month was not at all the last word about this topic . . .

If you believe COVID-19 "traffic signal" sanitation warnings are based on miracles and magic then you are misinformed. Here is an exhibit showing the empirical evidence used to determine the "red signal" warning for Jalisco for 9-22 August 2021. You can review the methodology for yourself if you wish by accessing the link below. Semáforo de riesgo epidemiológico COVID-19: indicadores y metodología https://bit.ly/3sgkqaD