Source: Correio Braziliense, 20/04/2009

In recent years, the Brazilian economy has shown clear signs of maturity. Part of this evolution is a reflection of the tax and fiscal scenario, which has been seeking to incorporate solutions and tools that provide greater agility and precision in communication with taxpayers. Especially in the tax area, we are beginning an era governed by the need for tools and systems that streamline the dynamics of the professionals involved in the processes, such as accountants, lawyers and, of course, businessmen.

In this sense, a primary step was the creation of Sped (Public Digital Bookkeeping System). It is divided into Digital Accounting Bookkeeping (Sped Contábil), Digital Fiscal Bookkeeping (Sped Fiscal) and Electronic Invoice (NF-e). Sped is an integrated initiative of the federal, state and municipal tax administrations that consists of modernizing the current system of compliance with accessory obligations transmitted by companies. In practice, taxpayers will stop relaying information to tax authorities on paper and adopt digital files online.

The Electronic Invoice (NF-e) is today the main pillar of the Public Digital Bookkeeping System. Elaborated by the São Paulo Finance Secretariat, NF-e soon became part of the reality of other states, such as Goiás, Bahia, Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul and Maranhão. It represents the beginning of a new period of commercial transactions between taxpayers in the country. It is a document issued and stored electronically in order to record a movement of goods or services rendered between the parties. Brazil is one of the pioneers in its use, having been based on the experience of Chile, whose dissemination of the NF-e already reaches practically 70% of the emissions.

The technology started to be used in Brazil in 2005, when it was tested in 19 companies, among them Souza Cruz, Gerdau, Eurofarma and Wickbold. In general, in large companies, NF-e is already a reality today. Many have already acquired the services available on the market and are taking advantage of voluntary accreditation - counting on longer terms to test the solution and train the personnel involved in the process.

The fundamental component for the Electronic Invoice to really succeed was digital certification technology. It is she who guarantees security, authenticity, non-repudiation and, above all, legal validity of exchange and any exchange of electronic data.

Since last year, the sectors obliged to issue the NF-e are manufacturers and distributors of cigarettes, liquid fuels, retailers and distributors, manufacturers of automotive vehicles, trucks, motorcycles and cement utilities, alcoholic and soft drinks, distributors and wholesale drug dealers, meatpackers and meat wholesalers and electricity suppliers. Data from the Brazilian Federal Revenue inform that the country has already issued more than 1,5 million NF-e, in a volume of more than R $ 12 billion in commercial transactions.

As of April 1, the NF-e becomes mandatory for 25 sectors of the economy: manufacturers and importers of auto parts, producers and distributors of petroleum derivatives solvents, producers, importers and distributors of LPG, wholesalers of steel products, aluminum and laminate manufacturers, paint manufacturers and importers, among others.

According to the Ministry of Finance, a taxpayer who hypothetically issues 100 Invoices per day will have around 2 thousand bills per month, accumulating around 120 thousand at the end of five years. When issuing documents only electronically, the function of keeping them remains under the responsibility of the taxpayer, but the cost of digital filing is much less than the cost of physical filing. According to the Private Council of the Electronic Invoice of Brazil (Confeb), the estimates of the departments of Finance in relation to the return on investment of the NF-e generation application vary from 3% to 5%. In the capital of São Paulo, taxpayers who use the NF-e have yet another advantage: they can use part of the ISS collected to reduce up to 50% of the IPTU.

The government's imposition, through the state finance departments, aims mainly to combat tax evasion. But it is also a reinforcement in the fight against money laundering and the commercial practice of companies indebted to the tax authorities.