ECD 2023: filing deadline extended to June 30

Taxpayers will have 30 more days to submit Digital Bookkeeping files

Published: 04/20/2023

Update: 05/26/2023

The Federal Revenue Service published a note announcing the extension of the deadline for filing the Digital Accounting Bookkeeping - ECD 2023, which pertains to information from the calendar year 2022. Originally scheduled for the last business day of May, the deadline has been extended for another 30 days. Thus, taxpayers now have until June 30 to submit the requirement.

According to the agency, the extension meets the demands of accountants and aims to encourage compliance with the deadlines for filing ancillary obligations.

Read more: 2023 ECF: is your company fully prepared? Find out the importance of a preventive review 

Check out below a few important aspects of this upcoming submission:

What documents comprise the ECD?

The ECD comprises the digital version of the following books:

• Accounting journal and its accompanying documents, if any;
• General ledger and its accompanying documents, if any; and
• Daily trial balances, balance sheets and the vouchers corresponding to their respective accounting records.

All ledgers and documents must be signed digitally, using an electronic certificate issued by an entity accredited by the Brazilian Public Key Infrastructure (ICP-Brazil).

Companies should be mindful of the accounting professionals who will sign their books, because the Federal Revenue Service has been thoroughly cross-checking data registered with the Federal Accounting Council's databases to identify professionals who might be deemed “unfit” to provide their signatures as accountants. Click here to learn more.

Who is required to file the 2023 ECD?

The following are required to file the 2023 ECD:

• Companies required to keep accounting records as per business law – including entities equated to legal persons and those that have been granted tax immunity;
• Legal entities taxed under the deemed profit method, which, based on article 45 of Law No. 8,981/1995, do not keep a cash book to record all their financial transactions, including bank transfers;
• Silent Partnerships (SCP);
• Legal entities based in Brazil that keep offshore resources related to exports in foreign currency, as provided for in article 8th of Law No. 11,371/2006; and
• Simple Credit Companies (ESC), as per Supplementary Law No. 167/2019.

Filing the ECD is optional for all other legal entities.

What penalties are in place for non-compliance?

Companies that fail to submit the 2023 ECD in compliance with the rules will be subject to fines, the amount of which varies depending on the offense:

Offense	Fine
Non-compliance with the rules for submission	0.5% of the company's gross revenue recorded in the accounting period.
Omissions and misstatements	5% over the value of the corresponding transaction, limited to 1% of the company's gross revenue recorded in the accounting period.
Overdue submissions	0.02% for each day overdue, calculated over the company's gross revenue recorded in the accounting period, limited to 1% thereof.

Accounting records in good standing

Domingues e Pinho Contadores has a team ready to assist clients in filling out and supplying their accounting and tax information, ensuring that all documents are filed in full compliance with the regulations.

Please contact us if you want to count on our support: dpc@dpc.com.br.