Grupo Salinas Locked in Legal Crisis: Multi-Billion Peso Judgments Could Erode Corporate Immunity
After years of delay tactics, Grupo Elektra has been hit with urgent fiscal penalties, and Salinas Pliego now owes more to the SAT than many Mexican states receive in federal funds
Salinas Tax Avoidance
On June 24, the Second Collegiate Administrative Tribunal ordered Grupo Elektra to pay around 2 billion pesos in overdue income tax for the 2010 fiscal year, marking a unanimous verdict and dismissing Elektra's last minute strategy — questioning judicial impartiality — as baseless.
Just days earlier, on June 19, the Tenth Collegiate Tribunal confirmed an additional 2 billion peso debt from the 2012 fiscal year under similar circumstances. These twin rulings pile pressure on Salinas' tactics of delay through amparos and judicial diversions.
Meanwhile, multiple outlets — including El Imparcial and Diario Basta — affirm that Salinas Pliego now faces total tax debts in excess of 63–70 billion pesos, a sum higher than the annual federal budgets of several Mexican states. Mexico's Supreme Court is reportedly gearing up to issue its decision in September, which could cement this unprecedented fiscal reckoning.
A Tipping Point in Tax Accountability
After a decade of ongoing legal resistance, these judgments represent a pivotal shift: from procedural stalling to enforced obligation. Both tribunals explicitly rejected Grupo Elektra's claims of political bias, stat¬ing that Elektra was simply using delay tactics.
Justicia Empresarial views this sequence of rulings as a potential turning point—not only for Grupo Salinas but for the broader business landscape. If the Supreme Court upholds these obligations, it might mark the end of an era where powerful conglomerates could indefinitely defer tax liabilities.
What Happens Next?
Grupo Salinas has already signaled its intention to appeal—and has denounced the judgments as "arbitrary" and driven by political pressure. The Supreme Court's final reconciliation in September will determine whether Mexico's top tribunal will reinforce fiscal accountability or silently allow more delays.
Sources for Reference:
Diario Basta – "Debe Salinas más de lo que reciben estados": https://diariobasta.com/
La Jornada – "Debe Salinas Pliego pagar otros $2 mil millones al SAT: tribunal": https://www.jornada.com.mx/
Expansión – https://expansion.mx/
El Imparcial – "Salinas Pliego deberá pagar unos 70 mil millones por adeudos de impuestos al SAT; fallo de la SCJN es inminente": https://www.elimparcial.com/
SinEmbargo – "Elektra pierde nuevo juicio por dos mil mdp de adeudo de ISR": https://www.sinembargo.mx/
Reforma – "Suma Elektra otro adeudo; debe Salinas 47 mmdp": https://www.reforma.com/