Digital Convergence – 08/01/2026
By Ana Paula Lobo*
“Not having any software companies in the pilot program is a mistake by the tax authorities. There are 123 companies, none of them software companies. The cornerstone of the tax reform is technology,” warns Marcelo Almeida, director of government relations at ABES.
The Brazilian Federal Revenue Service made a mistake by starting the testing phase of the Assisted Tax Assessment System for Goods and Services (IBS) – which began on January 5th and is expected to last three months – without the participation of a software company. The tax authority invited 123 organizations, including Claro and Samsung, but did not include any software developers.
“This is a huge mistake. We presented a list of 23 software companies willing to participate in the pilot program. None of them were suitable? Technology is the cornerstone of the Tax Reform. We want our immediate entry into this pilot program. We can't waste any more time,” stated Marcelo Almeida, director of government relations at ABES, to Convergência Digital.
The last meeting between the IT sector, the tax authorities, and Serpro, which is responsible for the system, took place at the end of December. The software sector expressed concern about the lack of clear rules for fulfilling tax obligations. "Again: technology is the guarantor of the Tax Reform, and we have to work quickly. The system has to work, but there are no clear rules that allow us to build the system," emphasizes the director of ABES.
A major headache ahead is the change to the CNPJ (Brazilian taxpayer identification number), with the introduction of alphanumeric codes. "It may not seem like it, but the introduction of letters will alter the software and system aspects. There are several interconnected models. Everything has to be adjusted. And the deadline is getting very tight (the alphanumeric CNPJ is expected in June)," warns Almeida.
If the federal government isn't ready, states and municipalities are even less so. "Just over 101% of the municipalities have joined the Serpro tests. That's very worrying," he reports. All IT entities are demanding an urgent meeting with the Federal Revenue Service. "We will insist. Without a software company, this testing environment will not yield results. Three months will be lost, and the Tax Reform will only come into effect in 2027, which is a constitutional mandate. Time is passing very quickly. It will be months, and if we don't contribute at the start, we'll do it at the end, which will be much worse," he concludes.
____
*Director/Editor at Convergência Digital
