If you don't do this, there's no refund… and your payment gets frozen. What is the automatic refund? The automatic tax refund is a mechanism from the SAT (Tax Administration Service) that speeds up the return of excess income tax (ISR) balances to individuals. It is activated when you file your Annual Declaration on time, no later than this April 30th. If the information is correct, your deductions are backed by valid invoices and you have a balance in your favor, the SAT approves the refund and deposits your money in three to five business days, with no additional procedures. What do I do if the SAT rejects the refund? If you've already filed and the SAT rejected your refund, all is not lost; you can still recover that money, but you have to act. The professional services, tax, and legal advisory firm KPMG Mexico explained: First, you must know that, according to Article 22 of the Federal Fiscal Code (CFF), the SAT has 40 business days to issue a response, starting the day after you filed your declaration with a refund request. Second, this period does not include weekends or holidays like May 1st and 5th. The SAT won't give your money back on its own; if you don't review what went wrong and fix it, that balance in your favor will remain in limbo. The law is very precise: the authority has up to 40 business days to respond to your tax refund request, but if it detects inconsistencies, it will stop you in your tracks. Once you're in, follow these steps: Go to the “Procedures” section. Select “Check the status of your refund”. Choose “Automatic ISR Refund”. Indicate the year of the declaration. There you can see in which stage your request is. Some of the possible statuses are: Under validation review: your declaration is still under review. Under payment process: your refund was approved and is about to be deposited. Paid: the deposit has already been made. Rejected: the SAT found inconsistencies and requires more information. What to do if it was rejected? If it appears as “rejected”, click on “Search” and then on “Consult details” to find out the specific reason for the rejection. The most common causes include discrepancies in income, unproven deductions, or errors in the CLABE account. Once the problem is identified, you will need to file an additional refund request, attaching the required SAT documentation to clarify the indicated inconsistencies. Important: the SAT has another 40 business days to review this request, but it could ask for additional information within the first 20 days, which would extend the process. This year, the tax authority has tightened the review of income, invoices, and personal deductions; so much so that even if you meet all the requirements, it's possible that they will only approve or deposit a part of the tax refund you requested. Important tips Verify that your CLABE bank account is correctly registered in the SAT system, in the name of the taxpayer and active. Keep all your invoices, fiscal vouchers, and supporting documentation. If your situation is complex or rejections persist, consider consulting with an accountant or tax advisor. For example, if you filed your declaration on April 10, 2026, the authority would have until June 9, 2026, to return your balance or issue a resolution. How to check the status of your refund? KPMG indicated that to check the status of your refund request, you must enter the “Tax Mailbox” (Buzón Tributario) on the SAT portal, through your RFC and password or electronic signature (e.firma). They rejected your refund on your Annual Declaration and your money is stuck. Incomes that don't match, deductions without proof, or errors in your CLABE are enough to mark you as “rejected”. But the procedure doesn't end here. You have to enter the “Tax Mailbox”, see the exact reason for the rejection, and ask for your money again with an additional request and documents that support each piece of data.
