Lula increases tax on firearms and ammunition by up to 55%

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) signed this Tuesday (31) a decree that increases the Tax on Industrialized Products (IPI) on firearms and ammunition by up to 55%. The measure reestablishes the tax rates that were changed in July 2022 by then president Jair Bolsonaro (PL). The determination of the previous administration predicted the IPI at 29.25% for firearms.

According to the text published in the Official Gazette of the Union (DOU), the decision increases the rate on revolvers, pistols, shotguns, carbines, pepper spray and other equipment from 29.25% to 55%, in addition to increasing the tax on ammunition . The government estimates that the measure could potentially raise revenue of around R$342 million in 2024, R$377 million in 2025 and R$414 million in 2026, a total of R$1.1 billion.

“The measure is in line with a conceptual perspective of disarmament of the civilian population, re-registration of weapons in circulation and combating crime. The policy for re-registering permitted and restricted-use weapons resulted in 939,000 weapons re-registered by the Ministry of Justice and Public Security in five months, 99% of the total,” Palácio do Planalto said in a statement.

This is not Lula’s first initiative to revoke Bolsonaro government orders that make access to weapons more flexible. On January 1, Lula suspended registrations for the acquisition and transfer of weapons and ammunition for restricted use by hunters, collectors, shooters (CACs) and private individuals.

Furthermore, it reduced the number of weapons allowed for ordinary citizens from six to three, suspended the granting of new club and shooting school registrations and the granting of new CACs registrations, prohibited the transportation of loaded weapons, the practice of shooting sports for under 18s and reduced the number of weapons allowed for ordinary citizens from six to three, among others.

In July, for example, the federal government transferred responsibility for arms control from the Army’s CACs to the Federal Police. In this case, experts consulted by the People’s Gazettein July, pointed out that the decree brought legal uncertainty to the acquisition of weapons by civilians, including hunters, shooters and collectors.