Impacts and challenges with the new EFD accessory obligation – REINF

Abstract

This work has as main objective to discuss impacts and challenges faced by accountants and taxpayers in fulfilling accessory obligations after the implementation of EFD-Reinf. The study aims to show that the use of technology in tax management systems led to significant changes in accounting routines, simplifying the integration between tax authorities and taxpayers in an efficient and safe way. The Public Digital Bookkeeping System (SPED) is the instrument that brings together the various tax and commercial deeds of companies in a fully digital format, without the need to use any printed document. EFD-Reinf is a module of the SPED system that provides information regarding the retentions in services provided or taken by assigning labor, this tool allows the information provided to become transparent and gives the Government greater control of inspection through cross-checking of data from accounting and tax records, eliminating the possibility of fraud. This system has been in force since 2017 and is still in the implementation phase, so it is not yet obliged to all types of companies. Despite the difficulties in adapting professionals to EFD-Reinf, it is possible to observe that there has been an improvement in the fulfillment of accessory obligations by taxpayers, since the simplification of processes allows information to reach the Government safely, completely and in less time. Such modernization requires technical knowledge on the part of professionals, since the use of digital tools in the accounting segment will be increasingly common, and to be successful in their functions, the professional must know how to adapt to this new reality.