Don’t waste money on imports: see the maximum amount to avoid being taxed

Importing products has become routine for many Brazilians, be it clothes, electronic devices or any other object. However, import tax has been haunting the deliveries of these orders, which, as a rule, remain stuck in Curitiba until the recipient pays the fee.

The fact is that websites like AliExpress, Shein and Shopee have very good prices – after all, they are not subject to Brazilian taxes. However, when passing through customs, the product may be retained.

In these cases, import taxes may be charged in some cases and not in others. This is why people are unsure about purchasing their products.

Therefore, to help you make your purchases and avoid paying taxes, we will explain how tax laws work and how to avoid taxes on international purchases. Keep reading.

Why was my purchase taxed?

Decree-Law 1,804, of September 3, 1980, determines that the Ministry of Finance is responsible for stipulating the maximum amount that you can spend on international purchases without them being taxed.

Currently, Ordinance MF No. 156 of the Ministry of Finance and Normative Instruction SRF No. 096 of the Federal Revenue Service establish that the customs exemption limit is US$50 (fifty dollars), adding the value of the product plus purchase insurance and shipping.

If your international purchase was taxed, it is very likely that the seller declared a total purchase value on the invoice that is higher than the current limit, that is, US$50 (fifty dollars). Therefore, by law, the IRS can tax your order up to 60% of the value.

Another important point is that these rules are only valid for transactions between individuals. In other words, anyone who buys in a store is always subject to tax.

How to avoid import taxes?

Customs will not open every box or container that arrives in Brazil to tax each product individually. This is because they do not have the time or manpower to carry out this type of inspection.

Therefore, they use systems, management and other methods to determine which products pose a “risk” in the delivery process or are not in accordance with the legislation.

In practice, this means that if your product fits any of the following characteristics, you run a higher risk of being taxed:

1. Any electronic device, such as notebooks, cell phones, technological parts, among others, is usually taxed, as they are more expensive products and, in the view of the IRS, offer some type of “risk”;
2. Many products in a single order. When there is a lot of stuff in a single “box”, so to speak, this may indicate that the purchase was overpriced. Consequently, your order should be taxed;
3. Packages weighing more than 2 kg are also suspicious. Not that this is a rule, but heavier packages may contain more items or a product of greater value.

In addition to being careful with the total value, just pay attention to these three main issues and you will be less likely to be taxed.

Finally, even if you follow these rules, your purchase may still be taxed. As we said before, any purchase made between an individual and a legal entity (store) may be taxed.