Does anyone know: 1) If there's any sort of dog-sitting / dog spa service in the city? I am heading home for a week and need a sitter. 2) The name of a lawyer who's familiar with Expats incorporating (starting) a new business in Cancun? Appreciated!
Marlo - Do a search of the archive for this forum and you will find that everyone here recommends Mauricio Mendoza. There was a post just a couple of days ago with his contact info in it. The Search button is up at the top. There's TONS of great info in the archive about all aspects of living here.
Marlo, I have been using Attorney Jenny Vance for a few years. She has assisted me in matters of real estate, business and immigration. She is equally fluent in both Spanish and English. I can recommend her highly and you may use my name if you want. Her office phone is 887-3236. I do know that Mauricio Mendoza is highly recommended in matters of immigration. I believe he used to work there. His fee for FM3 type things is very reasonable and many people have posted that he is extremely quick in getting immigration things taken care of, no doubt because he has maintained relationships there and is a good man. But I have heard nothing about his competence in any other form of law, such as what you seem to be seeking. I will tell you that before I hired Jenny I talked to other attorneys, more or less interviewing them. When I met her and gave her the first project I knew that she was the right one for me. Maybe you should interview more than one person too. Good luck.
Thank you T.J. I saw your reply on Assist as well...someone phoned to tell me it was there as they too, are seeking an Incorporation Lawyer. Ironically I had heard the name 'Jenny Vance' in passing just this past Friday night but was not provided with any additional info. She was on my 'to do' list for this week...seems you beat me to it AND did my homework for me. As for Maruice...yes, I keep getting him as a reference. I may try and see him before my quick (and last) planned jaunt back to Canada then begin both the FM2 and incorporation paperwork all at once...not certain which comes first in this situation...the chicken or the egg. Wish me luck! Thanks again, Marlo
Marlo - I'm not sure why you feel you need to form a Mexican company...seems like a headache waiting to happen to me... But if you form a Mexican company then you need to do that first, and later you will file with INM to get permission to work for your own company. You could get the FM2 or FM3 first, with Rentista status and then later adjust your status with INM so you have permission to work for your own company. But if you are planning to go to Canada anyway then I would save the INM headache until you've formed your Mexican company, that way your INM stuff will all be done at once.
Well, I need to form a company so I can legally work for myself here in Cancun without stepping on toes and risking being evicted from the country for not minding my p's and q's properly. I've been told (and have read) that one cannot just simply 'not incorporate' here and be self-employed like we can (and I was for 14 years) at home...hence seeking a lawyer for advice before anything else. It's all about realistic options. One thing I have learned since being here is that 'opinions' people share are rarely fact, so another lesson learned. I cannot tell you how many times - regarding different topics - I've been mislead...with the best of intentions, I'm sure. Good thing I'm not one to react quickly or I would have been screwed on a few occasions. lol Jennifer, the incorporation lawyer is on holidays so I'll just wait for her office to get back to me...and yes, there's a reason I've not done any FM paperwork yet...I will settle my FM2 in due time when I return. It's all been stratigically planned.
Yes, if you want to work for yourself here and advertise and take Mexican clients...then you do need to incorporate.
A friend from Montreal just got independent contractor status after first showing her income from Montreal clients. She did it without a lawyer. I am a persona fisica and pay on my Mexican and US taxes on rental income here. Each other activity requires an additional annotation on my FM2. I did have an FM3 that began with a corporation which failed. That then became the basis for the persona fisica FM3 which led to the FM2. If I had originally listened to a friend from Belgium, I could have done it all as a persona fisica and would have skipped the FM3. During these seven years I have had 5 lawyers, including Jenny Vance. It is nice to talk to someone who moved here form the US, but she likes to hand off tasks to her son or other young people in the office. I have also changed accountants as often. Getting people to stay on task is difficult. And finally, after 5 years of crap with various immigration lawyers, I went to Mauricio Mendoza. He was the first lawyer who was willing to give me a factura. And he is quick and wonderful! And now, we are Facebook friends!
What two different, local lawyers have told me is, as Rivergirl said, the most straightforward order is to incorporate; then, apply for the FM3 with permission to work, managing the corporation (if that's your intention), and performing such other tasks as immigration has approved. From meeting with the lawyers until the corporation is formed can be as little as one week, they've said. As for working independently, without forming a corporation, performing personal services, I've been told it is possible, if you can satisfy immigration you are not displacing a Mexican from potential employment- which requirement is most easily satisfied by a showing that you have qualifications/experience that Mexicans cannot match, as a practical matter. Immigration calls this permission to work, "forma indepediente". Zina, just to clarify a point, does immigration designate you a "persona fisica", referring to your permission to operate a business independently, here (as opposed to providing personal services); or, does the term refer just to your tax status, or does it refer to both?
