Tax reform: government postpones until January the obligation for individuals and rural producers to have a 'technical CNPJ' and issue an invoice

With the change, invoices that do not have the fields for future consumption taxes, federal CBS and state IBS filled in, will also not be automatically rejected by the tax authorities — something that the government had already informed that it would not charge companies either. ACIC and FGV promote a lecture with a specialist in Tax Reform – Credit: Disclosure. ACIC and FGV promote a lecture with a specialist in Tax Reform – Credit: Disclosure. New technological platform A new technological platform, unprecedented in the world, 150 times larger than PIX, which is already in the testing phase, but expected to be fully operational from next year, will be responsible for operationalizing tax payments on products and services. ? The new system will enable and structure the payment of future value-added taxes (VAT), provided for in the consumption tax reform – approved in 2024 by the National Congress and sanctioned earlier this year by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT). Already in the testing phase, the Federal Revenue's objective is for the platform to be operational in 2026 without generating effective charges (a small rate of 1%, which will be "highlighted", that is, deducted from other taxes). According to the Federal Revenue, of the 13.5 billion invoices issued this year, 7.4 billion already have taxes "highlighted" (informed) voluntarily by companies. From 2027 onwards, when federal PIS and Cofins will be abolished, the "split payment" system will begin to operate throughout the economy for CBS (federal tax), focused on negotiations between companies — the so-called "business to business", without covering retail. From 2029 to 2032, there will be a transition from the state ICMS and municipal ISS to the IBS, with the gradual reduction of the ICMS and ISS rates and the gradual increase in the IBS rate (the future consumption tax for states and municipalities). Challenge for companies A report from g1 showed, in November, that the tax reform on consumption is requiring actions in the area of ??management processes and systems for issuing invoices by companies as a way to avoid problems from 2026 onwards. ??Experts interviewed reported that unprepared companies could experience anything from stopped goods and inability to pay bills, settle the invoice, to the possibility of the company not taking advantage of tax credits, generating a direct impact on cash flow. ??The Federal Revenue Service has denied that there will be an increase in complexity in issuing invoices, and has also ruled out interpretations that there could be a chaotic scenario for companies from 2026 onwards. According to the agency, the fields in the invoices will be practically the same as today, such as: CNPJ or CPF, of buyers or sellers, in addition to the quantity of products, sales value and tax codes, for example. Tax reform With the consumption tax reform, approved in 2024, federal PIS, Cofins and IPI (for most products) will be gradually phased out over the next few years, in addition to the state ICMS and municipal ISS. In its place, two new taxes will be created: the Contribution on Goods and Services (CBS) and the Tax on Goods and Services (IBS). They will work on the value added tax (VAT) model, as happens in the rest of the world, that is, they will be non-cumulative. This means that, throughout the production chain, taxes would be paid only once by all participants in the process. For example: if VAT is 20%, a product sold to the final consumer for R$100 will have a tax of R$20, which must be shared across the entire production chain (producer, wholesaler, distributor, retailer). Another change is that the consumption tax (VAT) will be charged at the "destination", that is, at the place where the products are consumed, and no longer where they are produced. Migration from origin to destination will be done gradually over decades. This will help combat the so-called "fiscal war", the name given to the dispute between states so that companies can set up shop in their territories. To this end, they intensify the granting of tax benefits.