Commission binds exemption from IR to more deputies and secret budget

In the midst of the government crisis to approve projects in Congress, parliamentarians decided to tie the exemption of income tax for those who earn up to R $ 5,000 per month to the increase in the number of deputies in the House and the recovery of funds from the secret budget, a scheme revealed by Estadãowho had been canceled by President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (PT).

The Joint Budget Commission (CMO) of Congress approved on Thursday, 12, a government project that opens the way for the approval of the income tax exemption proposed by the government. From current rules, the benefit could only be given for five years, as the expansion of tax incentive can last only this time. The Budgetary Guidelines Law (LDO) must be changed so that when the IR main project is voted, it is definitely valid without this limitation.

The government proposed the increase in income tax exemption for individuals who earn up to $ 5,000 per month from 2026, with a higher taxation of rent over $ 50,000. This other project has not yet been approved and is in the hands of the rapporteur, Deputy Arthur Lira (PP-AL). Parliamentarians agree to expand the exemption, but resist approving the compensation with the higher tax to the richest.

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In the same project, parliamentarians approved two “jabutis”, as the measures that have no relation to the main subject of the proposal, of direct interest of the National Congress, are called. Thus, the approval of the standard that opens the way for the exemption proposed by the government was linked to the proposals involving the increase of vacancies in the House and the secret budget.

One of the changes includes an authorization to create new positions of federal deputies in the budget even before the increase has been approved, and still paves the way for this expense to be explicit in the budget piece.

The House approved in May the bill that increases from 513 to 531 the number of federal deputies from 2027. The text continues in the Senate. The creation of new chairs will increase expenses by R $ 64.8 million per year, according to the general board of the House.

In preparing the 2025 budget, the government would have to estimate the impact of the creation of these vacancies for the following years and also includes the estimate of expense year by year. Now, the budget should bring express authorization to the increase in the number of deputies and still without this projection. Only the PL, which voted against the increase of deputies, spoke for the rejection of “Jabuti”.

The Congress Commission also changed the government project to recover funds from the secret budget that were canceled by the Lula administration. According to Estadão revealed, the Congress articulated a bill to save $ 2 billion in funds from the secret budget that had been canceled by Lula in December 2024. This proposal has already been approved and sanctioned by the president.

Now, the “jabuti” takes a step further, authorizing that works with technical problems, such as lack of bidding and environmental licensing, and municipalities in default with the Union, receive this money, recovering devices vetoed by Lula in LDO. Not only will funds from the secret budget be contemplated, but the bill also reaches other types of amendments directed by deputies and senators to their electoral strongholds.

According to the president of the CMO, Senator Efraim Filho (Union-PB), the bill is important for municipalities that depend on parliamentary amendments. “Especially those of small who need to receive investment resources straight from the National Congress and often for some default loses resources that are very important for development,” said the senator. “Today we would have a large gap damaging the municipalities,” said Senator Dorinha Seabra (União-to), the text’s rapporteur.