Subtotal in MXN
The pre-tax merchandise cost. This is the number your contador will pull off the CFDI when they reconcile the receipt against the póliza.
Budgeting guide
Merch budgeting in Mexico: IVA, USMCA and the peso line
How to build a merch budget in pesos that survives an IVA 16% pass-through, a USMCA origin question, and a peso that does not always behave like the dollar.
Start with the tax line, not the unit price
The most common budgeting error in Mexican merch is to compare a US-published unit price with a Mexican-published one as if both were net of taxes. They are not. A 100 MXN garment carries roughly 16 MXN of IVA on top, recoverable against your VAT declaration if your uso de CFDI is right. A US-published US$5 piece that lands in CDMX at the official customs broker will usually carry 16% IVA on the CIF value plus the applicable general import duty (IGI) — sometimes zero under USMCA, sometimes not, depending on the textile category and the certificate of origin your supplier can produce.
Build the budget from the bottom up: landed unit cost in MXN, then IVA, then decoration method (screen print, embroidery, sublimation, full-digital, transfer), then packaging, then line-haul, then the buffer. That order catches the line items that always surprise first-time buyers in Mexico.
Budget lines you should never skip
IVA 16% line
Shown separately on the CFDI. Recoverable against your monthly declaración, but only if the uso de CFDI and the supplier's régimen fiscal match your régimen.
Decoration & setup
Per-colour screen setup, embroidery digitising, sublimation plates, name-personalisation, individual polybagging. Each is a separate cost line and each is the place suppliers hide margin.
Logistics & buffer
Line-haul inside Mexico, last-mile in CDMX/MTY/GDL, customs broker fees if anything is imported, plus a 5–10% peso buffer for the inevitable re-print.
USMCA in one paragraph
USMCA keeps the duty on most apparel and promotional textiles at zero when the garment is cut and sewn in the USMCA region and the certificate of origin is on file. Mexico, the US and Canada form one big tariff pool for apparel purposes, but only if the rules of origin are actually met. A blank polo assembled in Saltillo from Korean yarn is no longer USMCA-originating for tariff purposes, even if it was never physically exported. Get the certificate from your supplier before you wire the deposit, and keep it on file with the customs broker for at least five years.
MXN/USD reality check
Quoting in dollars and paying in pesos is a translation risk. Build a buffer that reflects the 12-month rolling volatility of the peso against the dollar, which has historically ranged from a 6% to a 14% annual move in either direction. A simple rule is to peg the supplier contract in MXN whenever both parties live inside Mexico, and to lock the unit price at quote acceptance rather than at delivery. If you must use dollars — for instance because the blanks are imported — book a forward with your bank or pay a partial deposit on quote acceptance to lock the rate.
Sample 2026 budget for 500 staff polos
Using a representative mid-tier blank (supplier cost 95 MXN before decoration), 500 pieces in two colourways with two embroidery positions, individually polybagged and shipped to a CDMX distribution centre: blanks and decoration come to roughly 95,000 MXN, IVA 16% is 15,200 MXN, packaging and labelling 7,500 MXN, line-haul to a single Mexican city 5,800 MXN. Total landed around 123,500 MXN before any peso buffer. A 7% MXN/USD buffer brings the realistic working number to about 132,000 MXN. Build a separate buffer for re-prints and a small amount for size swaps.
Frequently asked questions
Can I deduct the IVA on merch expenses?
Usually yes, provided the CFDI 4.0 lists the correct uso de CFDI for your expense category (commonly G03 for marketing), the supplier's régimen fiscal allows them to bill you, and the expense is ordinary and necessary for your activity.
Is the IG I always zero under USMCA?
For most apparel and most promotional textiles, yes, when the rules of origin are met. For some hard goods, accessories and mixed-material items, the IGI can be 5% to 15% even with USMCA origin. Always ask your customs broker to confirm before the deposit.
How much peso buffer is reasonable?
For a peso-denominated contract inside Mexico, 5% is normal. For a dollar-denominated order running more than 60 days, 8% to 10% is more honest. Anything less and the budget is a wish, not a plan.
Can we amortise the merch cost over a quarter?
Yes, as long as the CFDI dates match the period in which you want to recognise the expense. Your contador will usually prefer the CFDI date as the cut-off, so time the supplier delivery and the CFDI stamp around your monthly close.
Corp-Merch is an independent external supplier. Numbers on this page are planning examples based on 2025–2026 benchmarks; confirm the actual tax treatment, customs duty and USMCA classification with your contador or licensed customs broker before committing.