Source: Valor Econômico (São Paulo - SP) - 17/05/2012

The Petrópolis group, which produces Itaipava, Crystal and Petra beers, among other labels, is being investigated for suspected tax evasion. The Finance Secretariat of the State of São Paulo estimates that the brewery has failed to pay around R $ 600 million in Tax on Circulation of Goods and Services (ICMS) in the last five years.

According to the investigations, initiated last year, tax evasion would occur when calculating the tax in the form of tax substitution. Through this type of payment, mandatory for some sectors, a single company collects ICMS in advance throughout the production chain. In the case of the beverage sector, for example, the manufacturer collects the tax from distributors and resellers. The system's objective is to avoid tax evasion. According to information from the Treasury, Petrópolis would have simulated the transfer of beverages sold in São Paulo units to its branches located in another state.

Yesterday, about 80 inspectors from the São Paulo Finance, Public Ministry and Civil and Military police carried out search and seizure warrants in the group's establishments and in beverage distributors in the region of Sorocaba, in the interior of São Paulo. The action was called “Operation Czar”.

Petrópolis informed, in a note signed by its legal director Fernando Jacob Filho, that “it manifests total tranquility and the certainty of its correct conduct in relation to taxes of any origin. From the first moment, the company collaborates with the investigations and opened its doors for the conscious investigation of its conduct totally in accordance with the legislation in force ”. The company added that "this investigative procedure, coincidentally, happens at the moment when Grupo Petrópolis announces its intention to open a new unit in the Northeast".

Also according to the Treasury, "it is suspected that countless beverage distributors inside and outside the State of São Paulo would, in fact, be controlled, in fact, by the economic group itself, in order to hide their participation in the fraudulent scheme".

This is the third time the brewery has been investigated for tax evasion. In 2005, the IRS and the Federal Police carried out an operation at Schincariol, suspected of evading R $ 1 billion. Sales would have been under-invoiced or without invoice. At the time, 70 people were arrested, including businessman Walter Faria, president of the Petrópolis group, which distributed Schincariol. In 2006, during Operation Cerol, the commercial director and partner of Petrópolis, Paulo Henrique Vilela Pedras was arrested on charges of tax evasion.