The government of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) plans to include the increase in taxes on betting and fintechs in the project to reduce tax benefits that is on the agenda of the Chamber of Deputies this Tuesday (16/12). PT House Leader Lindbergh Farias (RJ) said Finance Minister Fernando Haddad was leading the negotiations.
The economic team has been trying to increase taxes on online betting houses and payment companies since the first half of the year, when the Treasury published provisional measure 1303/2025, which increased the betting rate to 18% and equated the social contribution on net profit (CSLL) of fintechs with that of banks.
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These measures constituted revenue alternatives to the increase in the financial operations tax (IOF). The deputy, however, was reported to the House in October and lost its validity.
In response, Senator Renan Calheiros (MDB-AL) presented Bill 5473/2025, which reinstates the taxation of both. The project proposes a gradual increase in bets, which will have to pay a rate of 15% in 2026 and 18% from 2028. Currently, the level is 12%.
Fintechs would also face a staggered tax increase, having to pay 12% CCSLL in 2026 and 15% from 2028. Today, fintechs pay 9%.
The project was reported by the leader of the MDB in the Senate, Eduardo Braga (AM), to the Economic Affairs Commission (CAE) in a definitive way, that is, it could be transmitted directly to the Chamber after being approved, but it was stopped by the PL, which presented a call to be deliberated in plenary, where it awaits inclusion on the agenda.
In practice, Haddad’s maneuver accelerates the processing of the proposal at a time of strong government mobilization around issues with major repercussions. Last Sunday, demonstrators took to the streets to criticize Congress for unpopular votes, such as that of PL Dosimetria.
To the interlocutors, the Senate rapporteur, Eduardo Braga, declared that he “sees no problem” in including the increase in taxes on betting and fintechs in the tax cuts project. He also said he had been approached by the Treasury regarding the inclusion, but had not yet seen the final wording from the rapporteur, Aguinaldo Ribeiro (PP-PB).
Complementary Bill (PLP) 128/2025 provides for a 10% reduction in tax exemptions and is considered essential for Planalto to close its accounts before the election year. The estimated turnover is around 20 billion reais. Without approval this year, Planalto insists the budget could be subject to unforeseen events that could even affect parliamentary amendments in the middle of an election year.
Plan B is a new MP
If the inclusion of tax increases increases bets and finctechs are excluded from tax benefits, the Lula government does not rule out a new interim measure.
The Federal Constitution establishes that the government cannot reissue, during the same legislature, a provisional measure that has already been rejected or expired. It is therefore expected that a possible new MP will be released early next year.
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