Accountants in Brazil: What They Do and What They Cost

Every Brazilian company needs an accountant. They calculate and pay taxes, run payroll, submit the filings required by the Federal Revenue, the state and the city, and prepare financial statements. For a company with a foreign partner, the accountant matters even more: it cannot use the simplified regime (Simples Nacional), it has extra obligations with the Central Bank and it needs to plan how to send profits abroad. Under the Lucro Presumido regime, monthly fees usually fall between R$ 800 and R$ 4,000, depending on the size of the operation.

What the accountant does

Area	What it includes
Taxes	Calculating federal, state and municipal taxes and issuing the payment slips
Invoices	Setting up tax codes and checking the invoices issued
Payroll	Salaries, charges, vacation, 13th salary and eSocial, if there are employees
Filings	The monthly and annual reports the government requires
Accounting	Bookkeeping, balance sheets and financial statements
Setup and changes	Company registration, changes to the articles, closing the company

In Brazil, an accountant must have an active registration with the Regional Accounting Council (CRC) of their state. Ask for the registration number of the professional or the firm before hiring.

Why it costs more with a foreign partner

The Simples Nacional law forbids companies with a partner domiciled abroad from using that regime. That leaves Lucro Presumido and Lucro Real, which require more filings, such as digital bookkeeping and contribution reports, and therefore cost more to maintain. See how to choose the structure in how to open a company in Brazil as a foreigner.

On top of that, companies with foreign capital have obligations with the Central Bank: capital that came from abroad must be registered and updated in periodic reports. An accountant who already does this avoids fines and makes sure you can send profits abroad without trouble.

What it costs

Prices vary widely by city, regime, number of invoices and number of employees. As a market reference in 2026:

Profile	Approximate monthly fees
Small company under Lucro Presumido, online firm	R$ 800 to R$ 2,000
Small company under Lucro Presumido, in-person firm	R$ 1,500 to R$ 4,000
Lucro Real, with staff and many transactions	Above that, on quote

Services such as opening the company, amendments to the articles and some annual filings are usually charged separately. Ask for a proposal that states exactly what the monthly fee includes.

What changed with the tax reform

The tax reform is replacing five consumption taxes with CBS and IBS through 2033. During the transition, companies live with both systems, and invoices now show the new taxes. An up-to-date accountant makes a difference to pricing and cash flow.

How to choose a good accountant

• Experience with foreigners: ask how many companies with partners abroad the firm serves and whether it handles the Central Bank registration.
• Language: reports and conversations in English help the parent company a lot. If the firm does not speak English, have someone in Brazil bridge the gap.
• Technology: integration with your sales system, automatic invoicing and clear monthly reports.
• Response time: an agreed deadline for answering questions. Late tax payments mean fines.
• CRC registration: check that it is active.

The accountant and other areas

The accountant works with the lawyer (contracts and structure), the bank (account and foreign exchange, see bank account for a company with a foreign partner) and HR (see hiring in Brazil: CLT, PJ or contractor). For newcomers, having one person coordinate all of this saves time and mistakes.

Summary

In Brazil, the accountant is mandatory and central to the operation, even more so for companies with a foreign partner, which are left out of Simples Nacional and have obligations with the Central Bank. Budget R$ 800 to R$ 4,000 per month at first and choose a firm experienced with foreign capital. If you want help finding and coordinating that team in Brazil, talk to BrazilDoor.