The proposal to reduce tax incentives presented by the government to Congress rekindled the industry’s concern that reacted against the increase in the tax burden. The Complementary Bill (PLP) 182/2025, filed last Friday (29) by the Government leader in the House, Deputy José Guimarães (PT-CE), foresees a 10% cut in benefits considered infraconstitutional, affecting different tax regimes.
In the assessment of, the measure expands the difficulties of a sector that already operates under strong cost pressure and with increasingly narrow margins. Among the factors that have been compressing industrial activity are IOF rise, the United States “rate” of Brazilian exports and the basic interest rate, kept at a record 15% per year.
“If all tax incentives are reduced, Brazil, which already has one of the highest and most complex tax charges in the world, will face an even more challenging scenario,” said Ricardo Alban, president of CNI. According to the executive, these mechanisms are fundamental for the maintenance of competitiveness, especially in sectors exposed to international competition or with reduced profit margins.
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What are the benefits affected by PLP 182/25
- PIS/PASEP AND PIS-IMPORTATION
- COFINS AND COFINS-IMPORTATION
- IRPJ and CSLL
- Employer social security contribution (including CPRB)
- Import tax
- IPI
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Costs for companies and consumers
All of these changes must have a direct impact on regimes that today reduce companies, such as presumed profit, King (Chemical Industry), payroll (CPRB) and presumed IPI and PIS/COFINS credits.
Therefore, according to CNI, this incentive cut is not only a transfer of costs to the productive sector, but also for consumers. “In practice, the government transfers the cost to companies, which will have to readjust their prices. The result will be price increase for the end consumer,” warns Alban.
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Chain effects, according to the entity, include loss of competitiveness, production retraction, lower job creation, fall in domestic consumption and, consequently, slowing down economic growth.
Most affected
Although the government may present the reduction of incentives as a measure of “tax justice”, CNI evaluates that the lowest income population tends to be the most impaired. This is because part of the benefits affects sectors linked to essential goods and services – such as medicines, public transport and basic consumption products.
The increase in prices resulting from change can aggravate social inequalities and compromise the income of the most vulnerable families, in the opinion of the entity.
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Other alternatives
For industry, any reduction in incentives would only make sense if it was linked to a broader pact for public spending review and efficiency search in all spheres of administration – executive, legislative and judiciary.
“The focus should be the revision of existing tax distortions, improving the supervision and expansion of the tax base, not the cutting of incentives that play a crucial role in competitiveness and economic and social development,” concludes Alban.
