The House of Representatives passed, on Wednesday (10), the substitute text presented by representative Reginaldo Lopes (PT-MG) to Complementary Bill 68/2024, which defines rules for the Tax on Goods and Services (IBS), the Social Contribution on Goods and Services (CBS) and the Selective Tax (IS) created by the tax reform (Constitutional Amendment 132). The basic text was approved by 336 votes in favor, 142 against and 2 abstentions.

The approved text brings several changes in relation to the original bill, sponsored by the Executive Branch. Reduction percentages were defined for various sectors and products, in addition to tax benefits, such as presumed credit, calculation base reductions, immunities, exemptions and other incentives. The rapporteur included a provision to ensure that the average standard reference rate of the future Value Added Tax (VAT), divided into CBS and IBS, is limited to a maximum of 26.5%. The rate assessment will be five-yearly. Therefore, if any future government wants to increase the standard rate, it will have to approve a complementary bill in the National Congress.

Drugs

In the approved text, all medicines registered with Anvisa or produced by compounding pharmacies were included, at reduced rates, with a 60% discount, or zero. Initially, a portion would be subject to the full tax, however, demands from the pharmaceutical sector pointed out that more than half of the most consumed medicines in the country would be excluded from the reduced rates.

In total, 1,233 medicines had their rates reduced or zeroed. Of these, 850 received a 60% reduction and 383 received zero taxation. The 60% reduction still applies to operations supplying compositions for enteral and parenteral nutrition, special compositions and nutritional formulas intended for people with inborn errors of metabolism. Basic menstrual health care products, accessibility devices for people with disabilities and 92 medical devices also entered the differentiated tax.

The approved report also modified the time for reevaluating the list of drugs covered by the reduced rate and established that it will be reviewed every 120 days. In the opinion presented last week, the review period was one year.

In a detailed estimate by the Ministry of Finance, the inclusion of medicines in the lower rates should increase the standard rate, initially 26.5%, by 0.21 percentage points. This amount must be offset against the so-called Selective Tax.

Source: PharmaBr.News