What would life be without real estate, and without property taxes and property ownership?

In the municipality of Metepec, Mexico, a province with a population of 214,000, property ownership and taxes have not been the norm.

According to Marco Antonio Vazquez Nava, municipal treasurer, Cadastral and Geographic Information System for Metepec, the municipality’s revenue sharing status has decreased substantially during the last few years.

They needed software for property tax collection. Taxes represent between 4-6% GDP. “There is a huge difference in Latin America,” said Nava. “Property tax in the rest of South America is 4%, but 0% tax is collected in Mexico. The National Institute for Statistics for Mexico (NISM) research shows only 42% of municipalities register property to be taxed.”

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