With the new tax reform proposal, fifteen foods in nature or little industrialized ones gain prominence by being exempt from taxes. Sent to Congress last Wednesday, the 24th, the complementary bill also reduces the tax rate on 14 other products by 60%.
The government, when justifying the measure, was based on the principles of healthy eating, following the guidelines of the Food Guide for the Brazilian Population, prepared by the Ministry of Health.
Credits: Marcelo Camargo/Agência Brasil
© Marcelo Camargo/Agência Brasil
The inclusion of these foods in the national basic food basket aims to meet the nutritional needs of the Brazilian population, without forgetting to consider items that are already traditional in this set. See the list published by Agência Brasil:
Foods from the national basic basket:
- rice;
- bean;
- milk and infant formulas defined by specific legal provision;
- butter;
- Margarine;
- roots and tubers;
- coconuts;
- coffee;
- soy oil;
- cassava flour;
- corn flour, corn groats and groats, crushed or flaked corn kernels;
- wheat flour;
- sugar;
- pastas;
- common breads (only with cereal flour, yeast, water and salt).
Extended list of zero-rated foods:
- eggs;
- fruits;
- vegetable products.
Tax Reform: Essential Foods with Zero Tax
Other foods with a tax rate reduced by 60% in the bill:
- beef, pork, lamb, goat and poultry meat and products of animal origin (except foie gras), edible offal from sheep and goats;
- fish and fish meat (except salmonids, tuna; cod, haddock, saithe and roe and other by-products) crustaceans (except lobsters and crayfish) and molluscs;
- fermented milk (yogurt), beverages and dairy compounds;
- cheeses such as mozzarella, minas, dish, coalho cheese, ricotta, cottage cheese, provolone cheese, parmesan cheese, unmatured fresh cheese and black cheese;
- natural honey;
- Herb tea;
- flour, cereal groats and groats, crushed grains or cereal flakes (except corn);
- tapioca;
- vegetable oils and canola oil;
- pasta;
- iodized table salt;
- natural fruit or vegetable juices without added sugar or other sweeteners and without preservatives;
- fruit pulps without added sugar or other sweeteners and without preservatives.
Cleaning products that will pay a tax rate reduced by 60%:
- toilet soaps;
- toothpastes;
- toothbrush;
- toilet paper;
- Bleach;
- bar soaps.
The Brazilian Association of Supermarkets (Abras) had asked the president of the Senate, Rodrigo Pacheco, to expand the definition of a basic food basket to cover some items considered luxury, but the government chose to maintain the focus on essential foods, prioritizing access for the population low-income people to a healthy diet.
*With information from the Ministry of Health and Agência Brasil.
