Companies can choose between two taxation systems from June

From June this year, companies who were taxed 1% (Industry and Trade) will have to contribute 2.5 %, while those with the 2% rate (Services Industry, including call center companies, information technology, media companies, among other segments), will have to bear with 4.5%, according to law MP 669 published in the Federal Gazette (DOU). Among subsidy reduction measures, the government will reduce payroll exemption, in place since 2011.

The finance minister, Joaquim Levy, defines the main spending cuts, reducing subsidies and increase revenue in a fiscal adjustment package of about R$ 111 billion in an attempt to meet the primary surplus target of 1.2% of GDP set for 2015.

In the current model, all companies in the sector affected by the exemption are required to pay taxes under a revenue base, since the new rules of taxation; each company can decide which system is more advantageous: billing or payroll. With this measure, the government will reduce the amount subsidized by half: from $ 25.2 billion to R $ 12.4 billion estimated for 2015.