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New Rule from the Revenue Agency Equates Fintechs to Bank Obligations to Strengthen the Fight Against Money Laundering. Decision Comes After Mega-Operation in the Fuel Sector and Disproves Rumors of a “Pix Fee”.
The government confirmed that fintechs will now comply with the same transparency obligations as banks, with regular information submissions to the Federal Revenue. The measure focuses on combating money laundering and cooperating with the Federal Police, without creating any charges regarding Pix. According to the Ministry of Finance, the directive will take effect from this Friday, August 29, 2025.
The decision was announced a day after a mega-operation that revealed billion-dollar schemes of asset concealment involving the fuel sector and parallel financial structures. Authorities pointed to the use of fintechs and investment funds to mask the origin of the funds.
The Federal Revenue issued a statement explaining that the new normative instruction is objective and brief, consisting of four articles, and that its goal is to close loopholes for organized crime. The agency emphasized that there is no “taxation on Pix” and that the change pertains to data reporting already required from traditional financial institutions.
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Even in January, the government had to deny a wave of fake news regarding supposed charges on Pix. Now, with the facts exposed by the operation, the policy of monitoring fintechs has been resumed and formalized.
Why Fintechs Will Be Closely Monitored by the Federal Revenue
The Ministry of Finance stated that “fintechs will be treated as financial institutions”, with the obligation to provide clarifications about transactions, just as banks do. In practice, the Revenue will have more structured data to identify atypical operations, accelerate investigations, and share evidence with the Federal Police. The average customer will not pay anything for this.
According to Agência Brasil, the rule published this Friday consolidates the classification of fintechs and payment institutions under the requirements of transparency and cooperation that already apply to the banking system, strengthening the fight against money laundering and tax evasion.
In a statement, the Revenue Agency added that the norm is straightforward to avoid distortions and rumors. Key points include the obligation to send financial information and the alignment with the standards used by banks. There is no creation of fees and there are no changes to the everyday use of Pix.
Market experts indicate that this equivalence is likely to reduce the space for “parallel banks” to operate off the radar, as well as promote fairer competition among regulated institutions.
Pix Fake News: What Was Disproved and How It Affected Oversight
At the beginning of the year, false information circulated claiming there would be a “Pix fee”. The Communications Secretariat and the Revenue denied these claims and explained that the government was already receiving operational data, without creating any taxes. Nothing has changed for the citizen.
The Revenue Secretary, Robinson Barreirinhas, also denied the existence of charges on transfers and warned that misinformation hindered the implementation of rules aimed at large concealment schemes. The return of monitoring occurs to close the loophole that opened with the retreat in January.
According to coverage from CNN Brasil, the false narrative ended up benefiting criminal organizations, which exploited regulatory gaps while the norm was being re-evaluated. The result was the need for simpler, more straightforward language that clarified the non-classification of Pix as a target for taxation.
The new measure, therefore, acts against crime and in favor of financial security, and not against the user. According to the minister, “Pix will not be taxed, the focus is on transparency and oversight of suspicious transactions.”
Mega-Operation in the Fuel Sector
On Thursday, August 28, the Federal Police, with support from the Revenue and Public Ministries, initiated operations such as Carbon Oculto, Quasar, and Tank. Hundreds of warrants were executed across several states, along with seizures of funds and confiscations. Investigations indicate the use of fintechs and investment funds to launder resources linked to the PCC.
Reuters detailed that the schemes moved tens of billions of reais between 2020 and 2024, including through a fintech that operated as a “parallel bank”. The Financial Times mentioned networks with over a thousand gas stations and large logistics structures, as well as substantial amounts in assets and funds.
Agência Brasil and other outlets highlighted that the actions targeted the fuel sector, a traditional channel for tax evasion and adulteration that authorities believe have been co-opted by factions. The new Revenue rule emerges the day after, connecting to the effort to trace financial flows.
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