After the disclosure of a possible taxation of purchases in foreign apps, President Jair Bolsonaro (PL) said in a publication on Twitter that there will be no issue of a provisional measure (MP) in order to tax international purchases made through platforms in Internet.
Read more: For the second time, Itaú receives the title of “most valuable Brazilian brand”
see more
After hacker attacks, Microsoft releases free tools for…
'Barbie' movie predicted to boost Mattel profits…
Possible irregularities will be remedied with inspection
In addition to stating that he will not sign any PM to tax purchases in applications such as AliExpress, Shein and Shopee, the president also wrote that possible irregularities in this type of service will be solved with inspection, and not with the increase of taxes.
The alleged problem with international in-app purchases
Until then, the Import Tax payment exemption is valid for orders worth up to US$ 50, which is equivalent to around 250 reais. However, this exemption can only be granted if the shipment takes place between two natural persons, that is, without commercial purposes.
The big question regarding the taxation of these operations arose when Júlio César Gomes, then Special Secretary of the Federal Revenue, said in a interview that many sellers impersonate individuals, despite being incorporated companies, to take advantage of the exemptions, which constitutes fraud.
Also according to the secretary, the Federal Revenue is increasing the fight against smuggled goods or goods that violate tax rules through a recently launched fiscal traceability program, and said that the edition of an MP focusing on “virtual street vendors” was being studied.
Asian e-commerce platforms are winning over Brazilian consumers
Buying on Asian e-commerce platforms is increasingly attracting Brazilians. According to the Webshoppers survey, by NielsenIQ|Ebit and Bexs, already in 2021, 56% bought through Shopee, from Singapore (in 2020 it was 8%), 21% through Shein, from China, and 44% through Chinese Aliexpress. The total reached R$ 53.4 billion.
Analysts consulted by InvestNews point out that these platforms already constitute a threat to Brazilian retailers, who will have to find ways to adapt to remain competitive in the Marketplace.