The Chapala government started collecting annual property taxes and fees for water and sewage service as of Monday, January 2.
The impuesto predial (property tax) may be paid in person at the Catastro office and cashier windows located in the City Hall lobby. Office hours are 9 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays. Alternately, taxpayers have the option of paying on line via pagos.chapala.gob.mx. with Mexican credit or debit cards. Access the same site to ascertain the amount of predial due for 2023, or to generate a receipt payable at OXXO stores or BBVA bank branches.
Users need to check last year’s receipt to fill in blanks referring to the property’s designated zone, type (urbanized or rustic) and the account number, as illustrated graphically.
A 15-percent early bird discount is applied automatically for annual bills paid in full by any method during January and February. Discounts drop to five percent in March and April.
The 50-percent discount offered to seniors, pensioners and the disabled only applies to 800,000 pesos of the property’s total tax value, ruling out advantages for most foreign householders.
Many taxpayers are reporting modest to steep hikes in their 2023 predial bills. Catastro director José Barajas explains that his office has reassessed property values over the past year to so that the official tax value coincides with current worth on the real estate market. Thus the many predial bills have increased in proportion to higher commercial values.
Water and sewage service bills are payable to SIMAPA offices in the property’s corresponding locality, or through the simapa.gob.mx website. Chapala’s cashiers counter stands is in the cove just off the City Hall lobby. Weekday office hours in Ajijic and San Antonio Tlayacapan are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and 8:30 to 3 p.m. elsewhere. Discount formulas are the same as those for predial.