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PGFN and PGE-SP have taken legal action against companies of the Dolly Group, claiming that the liabilities involve debts with the Union, São Paulo, and the FGTS.
The Dolly Group became the target of a bankruptcy request filed this Wednesday, July 1, 2026.
The request was submitted by the Attorney General of the National Treasury and the Attorney General of the State of São Paulo.
According to the agencies, the companies accumulate an active debt estimated at R$ 15.7 billion.
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The liabilities involve obligations with the Union, the São Paulo government, and the Guarantee Fund for Length of Service.
The collection has been ongoing for more than 25 years, according to the arguments presented by the prosecutors to the court.
Billion-dollar debt is divided between Union, São Paulo, and FGTS
The majority of the Dolly Group’s debt is linked to the Union.
The data presented by the prosecutors indicate the following division:
- R$ 8.3 billion registered in the Union’s active debt;
- R$ 7.4 billion owed to the state of São Paulo;
- approximately R$ 15 million related to the FGTS.
The amounts place the group at the center of one of the largest tax collections currently brought to the Judiciary.
The sum presented considers the debts registered by the agencies responsible for federal and state collections.
Prosecutors point to possible asset shielding
The PGFN and PGE-SP claim that the liabilities were not caused solely by financial difficulties.
The agencies argue that there was a deliberate strategy of asset shielding.
This structure, according to the prosecutors, made it difficult to locate assets and advance collection measures.
The judicial statement also mentions the creation of new structures for tax planning and asset protection.
The allegations will still be analyzed by the Judiciary during the course of the process.
Judicial recovery lasted almost eight years
The Dolly Group remained in judicial recovery for almost eight years, as informed by the prosecutors.
The procedure had been initiated in 2018 to organize the companies’ financial obligations.
The PGFN and PGE-SP state that the tax debts were not settled during this period.
The group requested the withdrawal of the judicial recovery in May 2026.
The company then began seeking negotiations with creditors outside the recovery process.
g1 reported that Grupo Dolly had not made any statements until the last update of the original report.
Process was allegedly used to suspend collections
The judicial recovery was allegedly used to undo collection measures previously adopted, according to public bodies.
The prosecutors also claim that new asset structures were established during the process.
The bankruptcy request presents these elements as part of a strategy that allegedly prevented the recovery of amounts.
The court will have to evaluate the evidence, documents, and arguments presented before making any decision.
STJ decision paved the way for the bankruptcy request
The request against Grupo Dolly was based on a recent understanding of the Superior Court of Justice.
The Third Chamber of the STJ recognized, on February 24, 2026, that the Public Treasury can request the bankruptcy of large debtors.
The measure can be adopted when previous attempts at fiscal execution do not yield results.
The PGFN published, on March 31, 2026, Ordinance No. 903 to regulate this type of action.
The regulation was published in the Official Gazette of the Union on April 2, 2026.
The new understanding practically equated public treasuries with private creditors in complex and prolonged situations.
Justice will analyze the future of Grupo Dolly companies
The Judiciary will have to decide whether the requirements for declaring bankruptcy have been met.
The analysis may consider the size of the debt, the duration of the collections, and the allegations of asset shielding.
The liability of R$ 15.7 billion remains divided between the Union, the state of São Paulo, and the FGTS.
The information was released by the National Treasury Attorney General’s Office, the Attorney General’s Office of the State of São Paulo, the Superior Court of Justice, and g1.
In your opinion, is bankruptcy the best alternative to recover a public debt of this size, or could a negotiation still produce better results?
