"Corporate fees are slashed by 'Jabuti,' feeding funds to AGE, MPMG, and the Ombudsman, simultaneously"
Starting August 1st, the costs associated with registering a deed in Minas Gerais will fall, with the registration costs for deeds between R$3.2 million and R$4.2 million decreasing from approximately R$12,000 to around R$11,300. This adjustment was made by the Assembly, in conjunction with the Tribunal of Justice of Minas Gerais (TJMG), following pressure from the construction industry.
However, the precise impact on the funds of the Attorney General's Office, the Public Defender's Office, and the Public Ministry in Minas Gerais remains unclear. The funds for these institutions are primarily allocated through the state budget, not directly tied to specific tax revenues like real estate registration fees.
In an attempt to clarify the situation, the report asked various entities about the impact of the fund compensation on the state's fiscal situation, but they did not respond until the publication of this report.
It is worth noting that the slice of notary fees for annotations and document registration transferred to these bodies remained at 25%, but the value of the fees increased equally to compensate for the reduction of the others.
Moreover, taxes on liquidation, withdrawal, or title protest have also been reduced. Titles over R$12 million will be overcharged starting August 1st, with an additional tariff of R$698.40. The total cost of titles above R$12 million will drop from R$5,700 to R$3,400.
The new stamp duty taxes were included in a proposal from the TJMG, but to alter the payment scale of the health allowance for servers, a practice known behind the scenes as a "jabuti," was also part of the proposal.
The Public Defender's Office states that the special fund finances projects and activities aimed at "modernizing and improving services" and expanding to counties that do not have the service of the body, "especially those with low HDI and high population density." The fund sends resources to "organs and entities that act in the defense of public and social heritage, the environment, and other collective and diffuse interests."
The Zema government initially offered an 8.21% increase for the budget of the Judiciary, the Public Ministry, and the Public Defender's Office compared to 2024 figures, but these bodies demanded a 23% increase. The deadlock between the Zema government and these bodies over the budget lasted until December 18, when the 2025 budget and surcharges were approved.
The Public Ministry explains that the fund sends resources to these bodies, which are used to pay for services provided by appointed lawyers. The new surcharges on annotations and documents will increase their final cost calculation, including the judicial oversight tax. Annotations and documents valued between R$15.9 million and R$16.9 million will now have a surcharge of R$1,885.67, and from R$17.9 million, a surcharge of R$188.57.
The space remains open for further responses from the Zema government, the Assembly, the TJMG, and the Attorney General's Office regarding the impact of the new tax structure on the state's fiscal situation and the funding of the aforementioned institutions.
- The fluctuation in real estate registration fees, due to the reduction of costs for deeds in a specific price range, could potentially affect the business sector, as it may influence the financing of construction projects.
- While the reduction in registration fees for deeds may not directly impact the budgets of the Attorney General's Office, the Public Defender's Office, and the Public Ministry in Minas Gerais, the increased surcharges on annotations and documents could indirectly influence the distribution of funds for their services.
