Simples Management Committee evaluates longer term for debt negotiation

The Simples Nacional Management Committee meets this Friday (21) to decide whether to extend the period for debt settlement.

In the first year with a seat in the group, the Brazilian Support Service for Micro and Small Companies (Sebrae) defends the need to extend the deadline from January 31 to March 31.

The manager of Public Policies at Sebrae, Silas Santiago, points out that the measure would give breath to 342 thousand companies excluded from Simples last year due to overdue debts. However, the strategy aims at a greater goal.

“The importance is to give time to overturn the veto of Refis do Simples. For this, Congress needs to resume work at the beginning of February. If the veto is overturned, companies could take advantage of Refis”, he pointed out.

On the 7th, President Jair Bolsonaro fully vetoed the project that created the debt installment program for Simples Nacional micro and small companies, in addition to individual microentrepreneurs.

The expectation of the rapporteur Marco Bertaiolli (PSD-SP) was that R$ 50 billion in debts would be dealt with. The measure provided for a discount of up to 90% on fines and interest and 100% on legal charges.

The government alleged that the proposal was unconstitutional and implied a waiver of revenue, contrary to the public interest.

As an alternative to serve entrepreneurs impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, the Ministry of Economy launched opportunities to settle debts on the 11th of this month.

Only in active debt, according to the Attorney General’s Office of the National Treasury, there are 1.8 million companies registered with debts totaling R$ 137.2 billion.

However, small businesses still believe in the return of the program initially approved by Congress. “The expectation is very good, even because the government leaders are for the overthrow of the veto”, evaluates Silas Santiago.

Meanwhile, Sebrae tries to buy time for the 342 thousand companies removed from Simples, with the meeting of the Management Committee this Friday.

In the note released by the Federal Revenue with the communication of the analysis, the extension until March seems to be on the horizon.

“At this time of economic recovery, the deliberation of the Simples Nacional Management Committee aims to provide Simples Nacional taxpayers with the necessary breath to restructure, regularize their pending issues and resume the economic development that was affected due to the Covid-19 pandemic” , the agency announced.

The Managing Committee of Simples Nacional won, in addition to Sebrae, the presence of members of the National Confederation of Micro and Small Businesses and the National Confederation of Micro and Small Businesses and Individual Entrepreneurs, entities that will take turns in the group.

For Silas Santiago, the new composition brings more representation.

“It is very important because you bring the vision of the entrepreneur, the entrepreneur. Until then, we only had the national, state and municipal tax authorities. The new members bring more balance to the management committee”, he defended.

This Friday’s meeting should take place between 10 am and 12 pm.