Guides & insights / Buying Property in Mexico
Selling: taxes and timing
October 26, 2026
Selling a home on the coast starts with a realistic valuation. We look at recent sales and current asking prices in your building and area, the condition and furnishing of the home, and the season. Before listing, gather your deed (escritura), the fideicomiso documents, recent property-tax (predial), water and electricity receipts, condominium fee statements, and all receipts for the purchase and any improvements.
Updated 2026-10-26 · 3 min read · 480 words · Private draft awaiting owner review.
Preparing to sell
Selling a home on the coast starts with a realistic valuation. We look at recent sales and current asking prices in your building and area, the condition and furnishing of the home, and the season. Before listing, gather your deed (escritura), the fideicomiso documents, recent property-tax (predial), water and electricity receipts, condominium fee statements, and all receipts for the purchase and any improvements.
Good presentation matters. We photograph and film each home to the standard of our own website and present it to buyers in Canada, the U.S., Europe and Mexico.
The sale process
The sale mirrors the purchase. After an offer is accepted, a promissory contract is signed and the buyer's deposit is placed in escrow. The notary carries out due diligence, prepares the deed and calculates the taxes. Because your property is held in a fideicomiso, the bank is involved too: either your beneficiary rights are assigned to the buyer within the existing trust, or the trust is closed and a new structure is created for the buyer. Closing takes place before the notary, and escrow is released once the deed is signed.
Capital gains tax
Mexico taxes the gain on a property sale regardless of the seller's nationality. The notary calculates the income tax (ISR), withholds it from the proceeds at closing and pays it to the tax authority. As a seller you will need a Mexican tax registration number (RFC).
Published guides describe two ways the tax is calculated for non-resident sellers: a rate of about 25 percent applied to the gross sale price with no deductions, or about 35 percent applied to the net gain, after deducting the documented cost of purchase, closing costs, improvements and inflation adjustments. With good documentation, the net-gain method is often lower. This is why keeping every receipt matters.
Exemptions
Mexican tax residents selling their primary residence may qualify for an exemption on the gain up to a limit expressed in UDIs (an inflation-indexed unit), provided they can prove the property was their home, for example through utility bills and official identification at that address. Non-residents generally do not qualify. Your notary will confirm whether any exemption applies to you.
At home: Canada and the United States
Canadian and U.S. residents must usually also report the sale in their home country. In most cases a foreign tax credit is available for the Mexican tax paid, to avoid being taxed twice on the same gain. Speak to your accountant at home before closing so the documents you need are prepared in time.
Selling with us
If you are thinking of selling, ask us for a private valuation. We will explain the likely timeline, the costs and taxes for your situation with your notary, and how we would present your home. The figures here are Estimated and drawn from published guides; confirm them with your notary or tax advisor.
Updated 27 October 2026. Figures are Estimated and should be confirmed with a notary, bank or tax advisor.
Sources
Questions & answers
Selling: taxes and timing
Selling a home on the coast starts with a realistic valuation. We look at recent sales and current asking prices in your building and area, the condition and furnishing of the home, and the season. Before listing, gather your deed (escritura), the fideicomiso documents, recent property-tax (predial), water and electricity receipts, condominium fee statements, and all receipts for the purchase and any improvements.