The lines appear to demonstrate that most city dwellers still prefer to pay their taxes personally, even though municipal and state governments now provide online methods, as well as options at banks and some convenience stores.
Said Rocio Barbosa as she waited in line this week at the Zapopan office on Lopez Mateos: “My son said he would do my refrendo for me on the Internet but that I would have to give him my credit card number to type in, and I’m not going to give that out to everyone.”
This distrust is understandable. The Internet system for payment of the annual car registration (refrendo) fee was heavily criticized last year after motorists waited for many months to have their tarjetas de circulaccion (registration cards) and holograms delivered to their homes or businesses – some complained that they never received them. Another common complaint was that the system arbitrarily refused to accept some payments.
The online payment method at the Finance Secretariat website failed repeatedly last year. Things do not appear to have changed much in 2015. The payment page – https://gobiernoenlinea1.jalisco.gob.mx/tenencia – was out of action on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, although service had been restored by press time. No explanation was provided.
Paying online, at banks
When operational, the online system works should work like this: Go to http://sepaf.jalisco.gob.mx and click on “Pago de refrendo anual de registro y holograma,” followed by “Realiza este trámite en línea.” Type in your Mexican license plate number and vehicle serial number. Any unpaid traffic fines you have accrued during the year will be displayed and you will be asked if you wish to make a voluntary donation to the Jalisco Red Cross and Cabañas Institute for orphaned children. You may decline if you wish. Your options are to either pay online with a credit or debit card or print out a receipt that you can take to a bank, OXXO, 7-11 or Comercial Mexicana store for payment.
(FYI: This newspaper warns that online payments for residents of Chapala and other municipalities outside the Guadalajara metro area may be problematic, as the Jalisco Finance Secretariat last year admitted that it did not have the means to deliver the registration cards to area homes.)
Fees
The refrendo fee this year for a motor vehicle is 476 pesos – up 21 pesos on last year. (Motorcycles: 110 pesos.) A 15-percent discount is available through the end of January: 405 pesos. The cost in February is 428 pesos and 452 pesos through the end of March.
For those who prefer to pay personally, the main tax payment offices in the Guadalajara metro area are located at Pedro Moreno and Corona in the downtown area and at Zapopan’s Unidad Administrativa, located at Lopez Mateos Sur 5100 in Colonia Las Aguilas; open 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. To find out your nearest recaudadora in other parts of the state, go to http://sefin.jalisco.gob.mx and search the Directorio de Recaudadoras.
Property taxes in Guadalajara and Zapopan can be paid at municipal offices, or online at guadalajara.gob.mx and zapopan.gob.mx. The online process is simpler than for the refrendo payment.
For more information about the payment of refrendo, call (in Spanish) 3668-1700 (ext. 33221 or 33222) from Guadalajara or 01-800-715-1582 from anywhere else in the state.