The alphanumeric CNPJ will take effect in July 2026

As previously announced, starting in July 2026, the Federal Revenue Service will begin issuing new CNPJs (National Register of Corporate Taxpayers) in alphanumeric format (with letters and numbers), in accordance with RFB Regulatory Instruction No. 2,229/2024.

What’s changing

• New registrations (and new branches) may have a combination of letters and numbers in the first 12 positions of the CNPJ;
• The last two digits (check digits) will continue to consist solely of numbers.

What’s NOT changing

• Existing CNPJs remain valid, with no changes;
• It is not necessary to update or change the current CNPJ.

What is mandatory

• Systems and records (ERP, NF-e issuers, CRM, financial systems, databases) must be prepared to accept letters in the CNPJ field starting July 2026;
• The CNPJ field must be set to text, not numeric, to avoid errors or rejections.

Recommendations

• Ensure that the systems used by the company are capable of recognizing the new CNPJ format for all tax documents - whether issued in-house (if applicable) or issued by and received from third parties;
• Test the issuance of tax documents, payment slips, and contracts using a fictitious alphanumeric CNPJ in a validation environment;
• Ensure internal alignment by training teams in registration, tax, IT, and other departments on this format.

Compliance for companies

DPC stays up to date on standards and regulations to support companies of all sizes and across various industries in Brazil. To receive this support and ensure your business is in compliance, please contact our team by email at dpc@dpc.com.br.