Brazil: Brazilian Federal Revenue Agency publishes tax decision on contribution of know-how into capital

International Tax Review is part of Legal Benchmarking Limited, 1-2 Paris Garden, London, SE1 8ND

Copyright © Legal Benchmarking Limited and its affiliated companies 2026

Accessibility | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Modern Slavery Statement

Brazil: Brazilian Federal Revenue Agency publishes tax decision on contribution of know-how into capital

Pereira
Gottberg

Alvaro Pereira

Ruben Gottberg

Brazilian Federal Revenue Agency (RFB) has published new guidance on the taxation of in-kind contributions involving agreements of cession of rights (know-how).

Administrative divergent tax decision nº 6/2015, published in the official gazette on February 3 2016, states that a 15% withholding income tax and 10% CIDE-royalties apply when a know-how agreement owned by a non-resident is contributed into the capital of a Brazilian entity (in exchange for shares).

By way of background, an administrative divergent tax decision is an instrument that allows the RFB to standardise future decisions on tax issues that have been decided both favourably and unfavourably in the past.

Whereas this decision is binding administratively for any taxpayer in similar situations, matters discussed in administrative stances may be up for discussion in the tax courts. Multinationals are encouraged to follow up for future developments.

Alvaro Pereira (alvaro.pereira@br.pwc.com) and Ruben Gottberg (ruben.gottberg@br.pwc.com)

PwC

Website: www.pwc.com.br

more across site & shared bottom lb ros

More from across our site

The profession is fundamentally restructuring itself around what tax and accounting work should be, a Thomson Reuters leader told ITR
The big four firm is consolidating 16 entities across the region to create a single 6,000-partner behemoth
Brazil’s tax reform unifies consumption taxes to simplify rules, centralise administration and reduce legal uncertainty
The ever-expansive firm has once again attracted a former ‘big four’ talent to lead the new offering
The amended double taxation avoidance agreement removes France’s most favoured nation status for tax treaty benefits
The levies extended beyond the president’s ‘legitimate reach’, the Supreme Court ruled
While Brazil’s consumption tax overhaul led to a short-term spike in tax advisory demand, we are now in a period of ‘normalisation’ marked by decreased recruitment
The expanded firm will comprise roughly 8,500 employees, including 550 partners; in other news, Paul Hastings and Macfarlanes made senior tax hires
Meanwhile, one expert highlights the importance of separating Venezuela’s tax authority from direct political control after ‘lost decades and isolation’
With PMK 108, Indonesia has upgraded its tax transparency regime for the digital era, focusing on data quality, governance, and cross border exchange rather than expanding regulatory reach
Gift this article