Government considering 20% ​​tax on online purchases of up to $50

The Ministry of Finance admits to resuming the collection of Import Tax (II) on purchases of up to US$ 50 (about R$ 243 at this Thursday’s quotation) made on websites abroad. They became exempt on the 1st. The possibility of taxation was passed by the Minister of Finance, Fernando Haddad, to parliamentarians this Wednesday (9), reported the portal. metropolises.

According to Valuethe ministry is studying the possibility of creating, later this year, a rate II on these remittances of 17% to 20% on the total value of the purchase.

The government’s idea is to start charging between the end of September and October. Depending on consumer reaction, the rate would be raised in stages until December, if there is a political environment for this.

The issue has not yet been decided, but it is seen as a way to seek a balance between the tax burden of domestic industry and foreign players. The Treasury said that “negotiations are continuing regarding future adjustments to the federal rate”.

Lula asked for exemption on purchases in April

The subject has been the subject of back and forth since April, when Haddad announced the idea of ​​eliminating the tax exemption on international shipments worth less than US$ 50. Valid for shipments between individuals, the benefit would be being misused for tax evasion in retail trade, mainly Chinese, carried out through digital platforms.

At the time, the Minister of Finance said that combating this type of fraud would make it possible to raise revenues by up to R$ 8 billion per year.

The measure aroused criticism from consumers and reverberated in the Planalto Palace. In the same month, the minister backtracked after a request from President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT), who said that the issue would have to be resolved administratively, with increased inspection.

New rule formalized in June and entered into force in August

A new rule was formalized in June, with the government ensuring exemption from Import Tax for orders of up to US$ 50 or the equivalent in another foreign currency. The measure pleased companies like AliExpress, Shein and Shopee.

The exemption is valid only for e-commerce companies that adhere to the Federal Revenue’s Consignment Remittance program. The objective, according to the government, was “to provide greater agility and predictability to the flow of foreign trade and promote compliance with tax and customs legislation”.

The rules came into effect from the 1st. Companies have to collect the Tax on the Circulation of Goods and Services (ICMS), at a rate of 17% set by the National Council for Treasury Policy (Confaz).

Anyone who has entered the program must meet a series of requirements:

• Provision of information for the Import Declaration of Shipment (DIR) in advance upon arrival in the country;
• Collection of taxes before the goods arrive in the country;
• Comply with tax and customs legislation, combating embezzlement and smuggling; It is
• Monitoring of registered sellers.

The program also required the seller to inform the consumer of the origin of the products and the total value of the goods, including taxes. Simplified taxation was also maintained for orders up to US$ 3,000.

Those who did not adhere to the program would have to pay the Import Tax of 60%, with the declaration and possible payment of the tax occurring before the arrival of the goods.

Measure was criticized by the industry and retail

The exemption was heavily criticized by entities such as the National Confederation of Industry (CNI) and the Institute for Retail Development (IDV). The presidents of the two entities, Robson Andrade and Jorge Gonçalves Filho, met with Haddad to deliver a study with the potential effects of the measure.

The survey indicated 2.5 million dismissals by the end of the year. The entities requested the taxation of purchases of up to US$ 50 to avoid losses to the economy. Andrade told Lula, on the day of the reactivation of the National Council for Industrial Development (CNDI), that the measure works against Brazilian industry – small, medium and micro-industry.