Following the mass revocation of charitable status from over 100 civil society organizations (CSOs) by the Tax Administration Service (SAT), the 'Manifesta Tu Ciudadanía' network, comprising 37 donor groups and entities, urged the Secretariat of Finance and Public Credit (SHCP) to engage in an urgent dialogue with all social organizations. In a statement, the organizations warned that the cancellation and revocation of permits that allowed donors to deduct their contributions from tax payments affects their operations, puts their work at risk, and impacts social projects in human rights, health access, childhood support, community development, and citizen participation, among others. In this context, the network members acknowledged that there are tax obligations that must be met, but they warned that starting with the 2026 fiscal year, a regulatory framework has been created that generates legal uncertainty, containing 'restrictive criteria with excessive administrative burdens and processes that hinder their daily operations.' In this regard, they highlighted that social organizations seek to comply with all legal and tax obligations imposed on them, and therefore called on the SAT and the Secretariat of Finance to 'promote an open and constructive conversation about the fiscal and legal regulations to which we must comply.' For this reason, the affected social organizations called on the federal government to initiate 'an urgent and respectful dialogue' with high-level tax authorities such as the Secretariat of Finance and the SAT, as well as with the Secretariat of Welfare to review the cases of public assistance foundations. 'We firmly believe that it is possible to build joint solutions that allow for compliance with the law without hindering the legitimate and necessary work of CSOs,' the organizations stated in their communiqué. In this sense, they offered to present 'a regulatory framework that provides certainty, proportionality, and operational feasibility, recognizing the nature and social function of our activities.' 'Today, more than ever, it is essential to preserve an environment that allows organizations to continue fulfilling their objectives for the benefit of society. Our existence and sustainability are at stake, and with them, the collective capacity to address public problems that require the active participation of multiple actors,' the communiqué states. Last Sunday, March 21, Aristegui Noticias reported that government-critical organizations such as México Evalúa, Mexicanos Primero, and the Mexican Institute for Competitiveness (IMCO) had lost their charitable permits, although President Claudia Sheinbaum denied it was a persecution, arguing they were 'technical decisions' by the SAT. Separately, the SAT stated that many of the affected organizations listed scientific studies as their objective, noting that the reports and content generated did not correspond to this field but to social issues. In this regard, they emphasized that beyond technical aspects, the goal of the organizations is to assist vulnerable populations and strengthen the social fabric, making them allies of the authorities and their public policies. 'Our permanent actions are focused on caring for people, assisting vulnerable populations, fighting the causes and effects of inequalities, caring for the planet, contributing to education and health, and strengthening the social fabric, among thousands of other tasks that millions of people carry out daily throughout Mexico,' the text from Manifiesta tu Ciudadanía concludes.
