On November 19, 2015, State Law No. 10,439/2015, approved by the Governor of the State of Espírito Santo, was published in the Official Gazette, establishing a tax amnesty program to waive or reduce penalties and interest related to unpaid state taxes. The program was authorized by ICMS (Value-Added tax) Convention No. 127/2015, passed by CONFAZ, the National Finance Policy Council.

The Tax Amnesty Program authorizes the payment of fines and interest arising from default on principal and ancillary tax-related obligations, with a reduction ranging from 40% to 90%, depending on several factors, such as the number of installments and the total amount of the debt.

Despite the fact that it merely reestablishes the Tax Amnesty Program previously instituted under Law No. 10,376/2015, the Tax Amnesty Program applies to all debts relating to taxable events that occurred up to September 30, 2015, irrespective of whether or not such debts have been the subject of assessment notices or have been posted as readily collectible, including any tax debts subject to ongoing legal proceedings or instalment payment plans.

The final date for application to benefit from the Program is February 29, 2016.

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Founded in 2001, Tauil & Chequer Advogados is a full service law firm with approximately 90 lawyers and offices in Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Vitória. T&C represents local and international businesses on their domestic and cross-border activities and offers clients the full range of legal services including: corporate and M&A; debt and equity capital markets; banking and finance; employment and benefits; environmental; intellectual property; litigation and dispute resolution; restructuring, bankruptcy and insolvency; tax; and real estate. The firm has a particularly strong and longstanding presence in the energy, oil and gas and infrastructure industries as well as with pension and investment funds. In December 2009, T&C entered into an agreement to operate in association with Mayer Brown LLP and become "Tauil & Chequer Advogados in association with Mayer Brown LLP."

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This article provides information and comments on legal issues and developments of interest. The foregoing is not a comprehensive treatment of the subject matter covered and is not intended to provide legal advice. Readers should seek specific legal advice before taking any action with respect to the matters discussed herein.