Mexico Reports $3.3 Billion in IEPS Tax Evasion in 2025, Cancels Multiple Fuel Marketing, Retail and Import Permits
The Mexican government estimated that fuel tax evasion through the special tax on fuels or IEPS cost in 2025 about $61.7 billion pesos ($3.32 billion), President Claudia Sheinbaum said Wednesday, citing discrepancies in declared fuel purchases and sales totaling 8.8 million liters (55.5 million bbl).
Speaking at the president’s regular news conference, Energy Minister Luz Elena González said 72% of the discrepancies were concentrated among fuel marketers.
Authorities also identified discrepancies at retail stations representing 13%, in fuel imports, distribution and other fuel marketing activities, based on cross-checks of invoices and tax records.
González said the government developed a monitoring center that combines data from the tax authority, customs and energy regulators to track fuel volumes from imports through the final sale.
Sheinbaum added evasion methods include declaring lower fuel volumes than those actually imported and misclassifying gasoline or diesel as naphtha or other chemical products to avoid paying the IEPS.
Sheinbaum added added that Mexico’s fuel tax revenue rose by about $48 billion pesos in January-September, compared with the same period a year earlier, as authorities have intensified efforts to combat fuel tax evasion.
Authorities have also identified 1.9 million liters of fuel allegedly intended to enter the country illegally, associated with $13.6 billion pesos in unpaid excise taxes, Sheinbaum said.
The government has also imposed more than 500 fines and initiated proceedings against eight customs brokers for irregularities in processes. Another 264 fuel marketing and retail permits were canceled while 307 are in sanction procedures.
The investigations have led to inspections, administrative proceedings, criminal complaints and arrests involving individuals across the fuel supply chain, from imports to distribution. Authorities have also canceled fuel station permits and federal taxpayer registrations, Sheinbaum said.
Fiscal and commercial enforcement measures have also resulted in the closure of 2,224 companies selling fuel without permits and the issuance of 6,483 fines to 2,032 fuel stations for violations involving volumetric measurement controls.
The authority also said 180 companies were canceled from the national importers registry while another 175 were classified as false invoice issuers. A total of 17 companies are currently authorized to import fuel, according to the Ministry of Energy.
The volume of fuels subject to declare IEPS has increased 13.4% in January-September 2026, while IEPS revenue reached $351.5 billion pesos, according to the Ministry.
Reporting by Karla Omaña; komana@opisnet.com; Editing by Michael Kelly, mkelly@opisnet.com