45% of Brazilians do not know that they pay taxes when shopping
Almost 45% of Brazilians aware that they pay some type of tax in Brazil are unaware, however, that the taxes are embedded in the price of products and services they consume, revealed a survey by Fecomercio-RJ / Ipsos, released exclusively to iG.
The survey also pointed out that Brazilians perceive the incidence of municipal taxes (69%), such as IPTU and taxes on garbage and lighting, much more than indirect taxes, diluted on goods.
“Most of the population is aware of the incidence of taxes paid directly, while most of them forget about taxes diluted in everyday consumption, such as the bus fare, shopping at the supermarket or having dinner at the restaurant,” says Christian Travassos, economist at Fecomércio-RJ.
Among those who know about the incidence, the vast majority think that they pay more taxes for the consumption of items that, in fact, are not the most taxed. Food, electricity bills and clothing were cited by 9 out of 10 people when asked which taxes weigh the most in their pockets.
The percentage embedded in processed foods, for example, varies from 16% to 40%, according to data from the Brazilian Institute of Tax Planning (IBPT). The amount of taxes on the electricity bill reaches 48%, and clothing items have an incidence between 31% and 58%.
Foods that are more essential for consumption, for example, tend to be less taxed. A bag of rice priced at R $ 5 will have R $ 0,85 destined for public coffers (17%). A bottle of mustard, more expendable in the Brazilian dish, has an incidence of 40% on the price paid by the consumer.
Source: Portal iG Economia
