The Ministry of People’s Power for Science and Technology, through the National Fund for Science, Technology and Innovation (FONACIT), issued Administrative Ruling No. 015-004-2024 on 9 January 2024, which established the procedure and regulations regarding the assessment, self-assessment, payment and monthly return filing of the contributions for science, technology, innovation and their applications.
The National Executive Power issued Decree No. 4924 on 21 February 2024, which exonerates the following from paying the Large Financial Transactions Tax (LFTT): (i) debits that generate the purchase, sale or transfer of securities issued or guaranteed by the Republic or the Central Bank of Venezuela, (ii) debits or withdrawals related to the payment of their capital or interest, and (iii) securities traded in different stock exchanges or the agricultural stock exchange, made in a currency other than the legal tender.
Mexican lawmakers have passed amendments to the General Law on Negotiable Instruments and Credit Transactions and the General Law of Credit Organizations and Auxiliary Credit Activities. These amendments allow the issuance of digital versions of credit instruments, such as certificates of deposit, promissory notes, bills of exchange and checks.
On 13 March 2024, the Brazilian IRS published Normative Instruction 2.180/24 (“IN 2.180/24”), which provides for the taxation of income earned by individuals resident in Brazil from non-interest-bearing deposits abroad, foreign currency held in kind, financial investments, controlled entities and trusts abroad, as well as the option to update the value of assets and rights abroad.
The long-awaited IN 2.180/24 regulates Law 14,754/23, which was passed on 12 December 2023 and brought important clarifications regarding the taxation by Income Tax of individuals (IRPF) with assets abroad.
On 9 February 2024, the Minas Gerais State Secretariat for the Environment and Sustainable Development (SEMAD in Portuguese) published Copam Normative Decision No. 249/2024, which defined the guidelines for implementing, operating and monitoring the take-back requirement systems in the state.
In the last few days, the Superintendence of Companies ( “SoC”) has begun to invite various companies under its surveillance and control to participate, on a voluntary basis, in a diagnostic exercise on the implementation of sustainable practices. This is in accordance with Chapter XV of the Basic Legal Circular of the SoC: “Administrative Recommendations for the Submission of the Sustainability Report”.
On 25 March 2024, the National Securities Commission (CNV) issued General Resolution No. 994/2024, which regulates the Registry of Virtual Asset Service Providers in line with the provisions of Section 38 of the recently amended Law No. 25246 (“Law”). This Law had incorporated virtual asset service providers (VASPs) as AML/FT-regulated entities.
All those persons registered in the Sole Registry of Bidders (Registro Único de Proponentes) (RUP for its acronym in Spanish) must update their registration no later than 5 April 2024, otherwise, the effects of the registration will cease and they will have to register again, providing all the necessary documentation, as if it were the first registration.
On 24 March 2024, Law No. 31992, Law for the Promotion of Green Hydrogen (“Law”) came into force.
The Law promotes the use of green hydrogen, produced with low greenhouse gas emission technologies, as a fuel and energy vector. It declares these activities to be of national interest. Regulations for the Law’s application will be published within 180 days from its entry into force.
Recently, the Labor Inspection Court established an administrative precedent of mandatory observance in relation to the transfer of unionized workers (Chamber Resolution No. 002-2024-SUNAFIL/TFL).