CNPJ will have letters from July: See what changes for companies
The new format of CNPJ (National Register of Legal Entities) composed of numbers and letters will come into effect from July 2026.
The normative instruction was published by the Federal Revenue on October 15, 2024 and, after two years, it will come into force for new companies. In other words, the change in the CNPJ will not affect existing numbers.
The new number is called alphanumeric, that is, it will be made up of numbers from 0 to 9 and any of the letters from A to Z.
The code will be made up of 14 positions: the first eight will identify the root of the new number, while the next four will represent the order of establishment. Finally, the last two will correspond to check digits with just two numbers.
According to the Tax Authorities, the new composition will be something like "AA.AAA.AAA/AAAA-DV", where:
- A - Alphanumeric, composed of numbers from 0 to 9 and capital letters from A to Z
- DV - Check Digit using calculation by module 11
The Federal Revenue states that the change was due to the growing demand for obtaining new CNPJs, which could eventually end the possible combinations if the formatting of the code was not changed.
Companies with an already active CNPJ, consisting only of numbers, will not undergo any changes. Both formats will be valid in all processes that use registration as a form of identification.
Os cadastros via MEI (Microempreendedor Individual) já existentes também não passarão por nenhuma mudança em seu número de identificação.
For this reason, the IRS emphasizes that no action will need to be taken by existing companies, and that public systems will be evolved to be able to identify the new format alongside the old one.
Pix keys linked to existing CNPJs will also not face problems, according to the IRS.
In addition, the procedure for registering a CNPJ will not change. "Companies will continue to follow the same steps and requirements to obtain a CNPJ, ensuring a smooth and hassle-free transition for the taxpayer", guaranteed the Tax Authority.
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The Federal Revenue also made available, for developers and technology teams, a tool so that they can test the adaptation of systems for the reception and recognition of the CNPJ in alphanumeric format.
Called the National CNPJ Simulator, the resource is free and allows tests, validations and approvals to be carried out without using real data. The tool is available through the Federal Revenue Services Portal.
According to the Tax Authority, in the simulator it is possible to generate up to 1,000 fictitious CNPJs per user, in addition to validating whether a CNPJ meets the formation rules and displaying the history with all CNPJs generated.
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Source: CNN