Starting in July 2026, new CNPJs will be in alphanumeric format. While this necessary change will allow more than 100 million CNPJs to coexist in the country, it will also require adjustments to companies' applications, especially with regard to reading and interpreting invoice data.

The change to the CNPJ, provided for in Federal Revenue Service Normative Instruction 2,229, published on October 15, 2024, will allow the Brazilian economy to continue formalizing at an even faster pace than at present. With the alphanumeric model, the number of possible combinations of the basic CNPJ—the first eight digits of the CNPJ—increases from 100 million to almost 3 billion, while the combinations of the order number—the next four digits—increase from 10,000 to more than 1.6 million. The change is necessary because there are currently more than 64 million CNPJs registered in the country, with 6 million new ones being opened annually. In other words, in a few years, the current CNPJ model would not allow new companies to be opened.

A change of this magnitude in the way the CNPJ is numbered will inevitably have an impact. Given that the function of the CNPJ is to formally identify and register companies, MEIs, public agencies, and third sector organizations, the change to the alphanumeric model will require the adaptation of various applications. If an organization—whether public, private, or third sector—has a computerized system in which the CNPJ is registered, it will need to undergo adjustments.

Among them, many of the most important will focus on the registration and control of invoices. To clarify the possible impacts that companies may face if they do not adjust their applications to the alphanumeric CNPJ, we have prepared this text detailing the invoice and explaining the changes necessary in systems so that they continue to be able to catalog the basic tax document of the Brazilian economy. Follow along with us!

Understanding the invoice

Tax invoices are documents that record commercial transactions, whether they are the sale of a product or the provision of a service. The invoice is the most basic tax unit in commercial relations in Brazil. It records the transaction carried out, what was sold, the quantity, the value, the supplier's and buyer's details, and the taxes collected.

All invoices have a number that registers them: this is the access key, a 44-digit numerical sequence that uniquely identifies each invoice. The key is composed of nine different pieces of information, and the 44 digits include the 14 digits that make up the CNPJ (Corporate Taxpayer ID).

The access key is the number that enables the traceability of the invoice and, consequently, of the transaction. The following information is recorded in the 44-digit sequence:

It is the access key that determines the formation of both the barcode and the QR Code. These are visual representations of the access key that can be read by optical readers.

Applications that record invoices commonly perform automation routines to capture the access key and interpret it, thus gathering data on commercial transactions with suppliers and customers. This makes it possible to establish an overview of the relationship with other organizations and verify that tax withholdings and exemptions are being properly applied.

Tax invoices and changes to the CNPJ: what are the possible negative impacts for your company?

Due to the change in the CNPJ to the alphanumeric model, there will be a new way of forming the access key. If your company's applications are not adapted to this change, it will not be possible to read the keys on invoices.

As we said, the access key determines the formation of the barcode and QR Code on invoices. With the alphanumeric CNPJ, the written and visual representations of the invoice access key will change in the Electronic Invoice Auxiliary Document, the Danfe. If your company's systems issue a customized version of the Danfe, this adjustment will also be necessary.

Other changes in different aspects of the applications will also be required: adapting databases, correcting logic that validates the check digit in the alphanumeric model, adjusting functions both in the interface and in the interaction with databases... The possible negative impacts on business routines are difficult to measure.

Here at Inmetrics, we have anticipated these changes and developed a comprehensive solution that ensures full compliance and modernization of your applications to adapt to the change in the CNPJ to the alphanumeric model. To provide this solution, we work in three stages at your company.

In the first, intelligent discovery, we automatically map where the CNPJ is used in your applications: we perform a complete analysis of databases, automated backend scanning, detailed frontend auditing, and identification of external integrations.

In the second phase, implementation, we apply the necessary changes using advanced artificial intelligence: we perform automated code modification, update validations and masks, adjust APIs and integrations, and perform automated testing in real time.

During the approval stage, we expedited delivery, given our expertise in quality engineering: we performed comprehensive tests with real data, validated them in the official Federal Revenue Service environment, generated compliance certification, and provided complete post-implementation support.

Our solution is programmed to execute automation routines that ensure full compliance and conformity, allowing you to remain unconcerned about the potential technical complexities of compliance.

Here at Inmetrics, we have a team with extensive expertise that is fully focused on providing our solution. To learn more about it or ask questions about how it works, click here and contact us!