Compliant CFDI 4.0 — without a Mexican entity
How a US company issues SAT-compliant facturas to Mexican contractors, and exactly what we get right on every one.
You pay Mexican contractors via Wise or wire. Mexican tax law still expects a factura (CFDI 4.0) behind that payment — and a factura to a foreign recipient isn’t a normal one. Here’s why your US company can issue a fully compliant one with no Mexican entity, and exactly what has to be right.
Why no Mexican entity is required
The factura is issued by your contractor (the emisor) to your company as the foreign recipient (receptor). Your company appears as the foreign generic RFC XEXX010101000 under régimen 616, with your EIN as the NumRegIdTrib. You never need a Mexican RFC or entity — only an EIN, which you already have.
How it works
Add your contractor
They finish a one-time setup in Spanish (RFC, régimen, código postal). We pick the right US form (W-8BEN / W-8BEN-E).
Pay how you already do
Wise, wire, however you pay today — nothing changes about how the money moves. Then hit “Mark paid.”
We issue the factura
We build, validate, and stamp a compliant CFDI 4.0 through an authorized PAC, store the XML + PDF, and log it.
- Folio fiscal
- FE3E0D0C-EBC9-4B9E…
- Emisor RFC
- GOMA850101AB1
- Receptor RFC
- XEXX010101000
- Régimen · País
- 616 · USA
- IVA
- 0% · export of services
- Concepto
- Diseño de producto
- Total
- $1,500.00 USD
See it live at factura.julivn.dev.
What has to be right
Foreign-recipient receptor
RFC XEXX010101000 (foreign generic — never the national XAXX), RegimenFiscalReceptor 616, UsoCFDI S01, ResidenciaFiscal USA, receptor CP = the issuer's código postal.
FacturaBridge: Hard-codes this mapping on every factura; it can't be entered wrong.
Your EIN as NumRegIdTrib
The US company's EIN is carried as the receptor's foreign tax-ID. Without it the CFDI can't be stamped.
FacturaBridge: Required in Settings; validated before stamping.
IVA 0% — export of services
Exportacion 01, ObjetoImp 02, and an IVA Traslado at 0% under LIVA Art. 29, frac. IV, with a Leyendas Fiscales legend restating the basis.
FacturaBridge: Builds the 0% IVA node + Leyendas complement automatically; cited in our regulatory reference.
Currency & exchange rate
Non-MXN payments must carry Moneda + the TipoCambio used.
FacturaBridge: Captures the FX rate per payment; MXN correctly omits it.
US-side documentation
W-8BEN (individual) or W-8BEN-E (entity) on file supports the foreign-source position.
FacturaBridge: Tracks the right form per contractor and bundles it in the year-end export.
Audit-ready records, both sides
Stamped XML + PDF, a clean ledger, and a record of every issue/cancel — defensible to the SAT and the IRS.
FacturaBridge: Stores XML/PDF, a one-click year-end bundle, and an immutable audit log.
Download the checklist for your CPA →
What we deliberately don’t do
Staying narrow is how we stay correct. We don’t bolt on things that don’t apply to a paid-in-full, export-of-services factura to a foreign recipient:
We issue paid-in-full invoices, never PPD — so there's no Complemento de Pagos to get wrong.
We don't do physical-goods flows, so no Carta Porte.
A US company isn't a Mexican retención agent, so we never fabricate ISR/IVA withholding.
No tax-liability estimates or advice — we cite the law and your contador/CPA signs off.
FAQ
Can a US company really get a compliant Mexican CFDI without a Mexican entity?
Yes. The factura is issued by your Mexican contractor (the emisor), to your US company as a foreign recipient (receptor). The CFDI uses the foreign generic RFC XEXX010101000 with régimen 616 and your EIN as NumRegIdTrib — no Mexican RFC or entity is required of you.
What about IVA?
Export of services to a foreign recipient is taxed at the 0% IVA rate under LIVA Article 29, fracción IV (aprovechamiento en el extranjero). We declare ObjetoImp 02 with a 0% IVA traslado and attach a Leyendas Fiscales legend stating the basis.
Do I, the US company, need a Mexican RFC?
No. Your company appears as the foreign receptor (XEXX010101000 / régimen 616 / your EIN). The Mexican RFC on the factura is your contractor's, as the issuer.
I already pay through Wise. Does that change?
No. You keep paying exactly as you do today. FacturaBridge turns each payment into a compliant factura and a clean record — it doesn't move the money.
Is this tax advice?
No. FacturaBridge organizes records and prepares documents, with the regulatory basis documented and cited so your contador and CPA can verify it. It is not tax advice.
FacturaBridge organizes records and prepares documents — it is not tax advice. Verify your situation with a US CPA and a Mexican contador.