Tax Reform in Brazil: The Long Process in Progress

Date
Apr 2003
A tax reform process is now in course in Brazil. It started in 1995, when the President of the Republic presented to the National Congress a proposal to amend the chapter on the tax system of the Brazilian Federal Constitution (PEC 175/95). During the more than seven years of stop-and-go discussion, the process provided only two practical results: the so-called Kandir Law that modified the chief state tax ¿ on the circulation of merchandises and on communication and interstate and intermunicipal transportation services (ICMS) ¿, but which effects have been partially postponed by subsequent laws; and a recent law, which has mitigated the cascading of a social contribution. 1 Discussion of the constitutional amendment, which was interrupted in the first quarter of 2000, is expected to resume in 2003. This paper discusses the tax reform process in course.