Brazil's income tax filing season for 2026 opened on March 17 and runs until May 29. This year, the Receita Federal (Brazil's IRS equivalent) introduced significant changes for investors: new rules for foreign assets, faster refund schedules with four batches instead of five, and real-time alerts in the pre-filled declaration.
If you held any financial asset in 2025, this guide covers what to report, how to report it, and what changed.
Who must file
You are required to file if you meet at least one of these criteria for the 2025 calendar year:
| Criterion | Threshold |
|---|---|
| Taxable income | Above R$ 35,584 |
| Tax-exempt or source-taxed income | Above R$ 200,000 |
| Assets and rights as of Dec 31, 2025 | Above R$ 800,000 |
| Rural activity gross revenue | Above R$ 177,920 |
| Stock exchange operations | Any amount |
The last criterion catches many investors off guard. If you bought a single stock in 2025, even at a loss, you must file. If you held R$ 50 in Bitcoin on December 31, you must file. The rule does not distinguish between profit and loss, nor between large and small amounts.
Info
The new R$ 5,000/month tax exemption (R$ 60,000/year), announced in January 2026, only applies to 2026 income. The return you file now covers 2025, when the exemption threshold was still R$ 2,824/month.
Deadlines and refunds
The refund calendar was shortened from five to four batches in 2026:
| Batch | Date |
|---|---|
| 1st | May 29 |
| 2nd | June 30 |
| 3rd | July 31 |
| 4th | August 31 |
Priority order remains: seniors, people with disabilities, teachers, and taxpayers using the pre-filled return with registered Pix. Filing early increases your chances of receiving refunds in the first batches.
Missing the May 29 deadline results in a minimum fine of R$ 165.74, up to 20% of the tax owed.
What changed in 2026
Foreign investments
This is the most significant change for investors. The Receita now requires full disclosure of:
Trusts and offshore entities: structure type, country of incorporation, ownership percentage, and distributed income. Reporting the total value alone is no longer sufficient; each entity must be declared separately.
Foreign financial assets: beyond income, you must now report the nature of the investment (stocks, bonds, funds, real estate) and any losses offset during 2025.
Managed accounts abroad: if you have capital under management outside Brazil, the income report from the managing institution must be fully imported or transcribed.
Pre-filled return with alerts
The Receita's platform now flags inconsistencies during filing, comparing your entries against data already submitted by banks, brokers, and registries. Errors that previously only surfaced during audits are now caught before submission.
IRPF cashback
Approximately four million taxpayers who did not file in 2025 but were entitled to refunds now receive notifications to submit and claim their money. If you did not file last year but had tax withheld on investment income, it is worth checking.
How to report each investment type
Fixed income (CDB, LCI, LCA, Treasury bonds)
Report holdings under Assets and Rights, group 04 (Applications and Investments), with the code matching the security type. Use the balance as of Dec 31, 2025 from your broker's income report.
Income goes under Income Subject to Exclusive Taxation (for CDB, which has withholding tax) or Tax-Exempt Income (for LCI and LCA, which are exempt).
Stocks
Report holdings under Assets and Rights, group 03, code 01 (Stocks). Include: company CNPJ, number of shares, average acquisition cost, and balance as of Dec 31, 2025.
If you sold stocks in 2025:
Sales up to R$ 20,000/month: gains are exempt for regular operations (not day trading). Report under Tax-Exempt Income.
Sales above R$ 20,000/month: capital gains are taxed at 15% (regular operations) or 20% (day trading). Tax should have been paid monthly via DARF. Report in the Variable Income section.
Losses: can be offset against future gains. Report the negative balance in the Variable Income section to maintain the accumulated loss record.
Real Estate Investment Funds (FIIs)
Report holdings under Assets and Rights, group 07, code 03. Include fund CNPJ, number of shares, and acquisition cost.
FII dividends are tax-exempt for individuals and go under Tax-Exempt Income. Capital gains from selling shares are taxed at 20%, with no exemption based on sale amount.
Cryptocurrencies
Report holdings under Assets and Rights, group 08, with specific codes: 01 (Bitcoin), 02 (altcoins), 03 (stablecoins), 10 (NFTs), among others. Report quantity and acquisition cost in BRL.
Sales up to R$ 35,000/month in crypto assets are exempt. Above that, gains are taxed from 15% to 22.5% depending on the gain amount, collected via GCAP (Capital Gains program) and imported into the return.
Foreign investments
For those with capital operating outside Brazil, the 2026 return requires extra care. Each asset must be declared individually under Assets and Rights, with values converted to BRL using the PTAX dollar rate from Dec 31, 2025.
Foreign-sourced income (dividends, interest, capital gains) must be reported in the corresponding section, with taxes paid in the source country declared for offset purposes (where double taxation treaties apply).
Documents you need
Before opening the Receita's software, gather:
Income reports: all banks and brokers where you hold accounts send these by the end of February. They contain positions, income, and withheld taxes.
Brokerage notes: for anyone who traded stocks, options, or futures. Tracking purchases, sales, and operating costs is your responsibility.
DARF payment records: if you paid monthly tax on variable income or crypto gains throughout 2025, you will need to report these payments.
Exchange statements: for cryptocurrencies. Brazilian exchanges already report data to the Receita, but ensuring the figures match is your responsibility.
Tip
Use the pre-filled return. It automatically imports data submitted by banks, brokers, and employers. In 2026, the inconsistency alerts make this option even more valuable: you fill in less and make fewer errors.
Common mistakes that trigger audits
The five most common errors among investors:
1. Not reporting stock exchange operations. Even with losses or small amounts, B3 reports all operations to the Receita. If you traded and did not report, the inconsistency is detected automatically.
2. Confusing position with income. A CDB balance on Dec 31 goes under Assets and Rights. The interest earned goes under Income. They are different sections.
3. Forgetting to carry forward losses. If you had stock losses in 2025 and did not report them, you lose the right to offset against future gains. Unreported losses do not exist for the Receita.
4. Using market value instead of acquisition cost. Positions under Assets and Rights must be reported at acquisition cost, not market value. If you bought 100 shares at R$ 10 and they were worth R$ 15 on Dec 31, the correct value is R$ 1,000 (cost), not R$ 1,500 (market).
5. Not reporting crypto. Since 2019, the Receita requires crypto asset reporting. Brazilian exchanges report transactions above R$ 30,000/month, and foreign exchanges do as well through international information exchange agreements.
What Royal Binary reports
Royal Binary investors with active contracts should report the invested amount under Assets and Rights and income received in the corresponding section, according to the nature of the operation. Income reports are available through the platform.
For questions about how to report specific investments, we recommend consulting an accountant or reaching out via WhatsApp support (+55 11 93620-5522).
To learn about Royal Binary's investment plans and how the managed trading model with 50/50 profit sharing works, visit app.royalbinary.io.