In addition to foods considered essential for consumption, health services and hygiene items will also have their tax rates reduced.
The Federal Government sent the first bill to the National Congress at the end of April to regulate the tax reform on consumption, taking an important step towards making the consumption of healthier foods cheaper.
In addition to reductions in taxes on education and health services, the proposal established that fresh or minimally processed foods and those consumed especially by low-income families will receive special treatment and will be 100% tax-free.
According to the rule, the so-called National Basic Basket will be composed of “products intended for human consumption, considering the regional and cultural diversity of the country’s diet and guaranteeing a healthy and nutritionally adequate diet”. The text also highlights that the government followed the recommendations of the Food Guide for the Brazilian Population, from the Ministry of Health.
The constitutional text also provides for the possibility of a 60% reduction in taxes on foods intended for human consumption, such as fish, crustaceans and natural juices without added sugar or preservatives.
Among the food items that will have tax rates reduced to zero, the healthiest include:
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Beans
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Roots and tubers
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Coconut
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Cassava flour
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Vegetables, except mushrooms and truffles
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Eggs
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Fresh or chilled fruit and frozen fruit without added sugar or other colorings.
O bean, in particular, is considered an essential food for daily consumption. “Regular consumption of beans is associated with a reduced risk of chronic non-communicable diseases such as cholesterol, diabetes and obesity. In addition to the perfect combination with rice, they contain essential amino acids that help with muscle protein metabolism”, points out Angélica Grecco, nutritionist from the Dr. Eduardo Grecco Clinic.
In addition to these items, the list includes rice, milk and infant formula, soybean oil and pasta, as well as other foods considered essential. Milk even includes full, semi-skimmed and skimmed versions — which can offer different advantages according to each person’s needs.
Among the foods that had their tax rate reduced by 60% in the bill, we can mention:
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Fish and fish meat
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Fermented milk (yogurt), beverages and dairy compounds
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natural honey
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Herb tea
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Tapioca
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Flour, cereal groats and groats, crushed or flaked cereal grains (except corn)
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Natural fruit or vegetable juices without added sugar or other sweeteners and without preservatives
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Fruit pulp without added sugar or other sweeteners and without preservatives
Despite the justification of preserving health, the government does not include ultra-processed foods in the selective taxo (or “sin tax”), which establishes a higher tax on goods and services that are harmful to health and the environment. Despite this, drinks with added sugar and preservatives will be subject to the tax.
“Ultra-processed foods in their composition have high levels of saturated fat, sodium, sugars, preservatives and colorings, and low nutritional value, being poor in vitamins and minerals. The consumption of ultra-processed foods favors the development of chronic non-communicable diseases such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension, coronary heart disease, in addition to increasing the risk of developing cancer”, points out Angélica Grecco.
You health services will also have a rate reduced by 60% to be instituted by tax reform. Among them, we mention:
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Surgical Services
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Gynecological and obstetric services
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Psychiatric services
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Services provided in Intensive Care Units
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Urgent care services
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Hospital services not classified in previous subheadings
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Medical clinic services
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Specialized medical services
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Dental services
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Nursing services
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Physiotherapy services
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Laboratory Services
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Diagnostic imaging services
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Human biological material banking services
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Ambulance Services
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Birth and postpartum care services
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Psychology Services
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Health surveillance services
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Epidemiology Services
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Vaccination Services
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Speech therapy services
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Nutrition Services
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Optometry Services
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Surgical instrumentation services
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Biomedicine Services
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Pharmaceutical services
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Care and assistance services for the elderly and people with disabilities in reception units
The reduced rate is not restricted only to health services, and includes items such as medicines, accessibility devices suitable for people with disabilities, basic menstrual health care products and personal hygiene and cleaning products mostly consumed by low-income families.
