Amazon will start charging a 20% fee on purchases up to $50 starting Wednesday (31), in anticipation of a “blouse tax.”
Amazon has joined other retailers in introducing a “blouse tax” on products imported into Brazil.
Starting next Wednesday (31), the company will include a 20% tax rate on purchases up to $50.
In addition to this tax, a 17% ICMS (Industrial Goods and Services Tax) will be imposed on the products.
Expect to collect taxes on Amazon
The new law goes into effect next Thursday (the first), but Amazon decided to bring forward the tax application date due to the lag between the date of purchase and the issuance of the DIR (shipping tax return).
tax authority The DIR will be used to determine the exact date of entry of the product into Brazil and the dollar rate applied to each purchase. This period can vary from three to 15 days, depending on the company responsible for shipping. Therefore, it is important to be aware: purchases made at the end of June may already include the new tax.
Other retailers that will accept shipping
As of Saturday, the 27th, the tax will also be included on purchases made from retailers such as AliExpress and Shopee, in addition to Amazon.
Shein will start implementing the tax starting the following Thursday, the 1st. Mercado Livre and Temu were consulted about the possibility of introducing the charge, but had not provided any response by the time this article was published.
Understanding “blouse fees”
In June, the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate approved the import tax, which President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva approved at the end of the month.
This measure responds to a request from Brazilian retailers, who have expressed dissatisfaction with the exemption granted to companies registered with Remessa Compliance.
Companies registered in Remesa Conform
According to the IRS, 11 companies are currently participating in the program and are allowed to import products up to $50 duty-free until August 1. Only the ICMS tax, which is the 17% state tax, will apply. Companies registered with Remessa Compliance are:
Change in tax collection
Therefore, starting Thursday (the first), international purchases up to $50 will be subject to a 20% tax, in addition to a 17% ICMS tax.
For purchases between USD 50.01 and USD 3,000, the pre-Remessa legislation will still apply, resulting in a 60% tax plus ICMS fees. This rule also applies to companies not registered in the program, regardless of the purchase value.
Be careful when shopping
In the last few days before the new law comes into effect, experts suggest consumers pay more attention:
“The consumer must be informed of the tax collection and rerouting in advance, as the value may change and the recipient of the order will be the one who pays. In other words, the tax will be imposed on the one who purchased the product. Therefore, making a purchase close to this $50 threshold is risky because the value can rise significantly,” says Patricia Dias, technical advisor for legal affairs at Procon-SP.
Consumer Recommendations
If the tax is not paid, the order will be retained by the Revenue and may be returned to the country of origin.
“The recommendation is that the consumer pays the amount to release the goods and then can request reimbursement from the company, if he has not been informed of the possibility of increasing the amount due to the tax,” warns Roberto Pfeiffer, professor of law at the University of the South Pacific and specialist in consumer law.
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With the new rule, it is essential for consumers to be aware of the new tax charges on their international purchases to avoid unpleasant surprises. Always check the information provided by the retailer before finalizing your purchases.
Photo: Bordon Elia / Shutterstock.com
