We are on the verge of one of the largest tax changes in the country’s history. The Tax Reform promises simplification and rationalization. The problem is that 2027 is approaching, and there is still a dangerous fog ahead.

Pending regulations, operational definitions still under development, systems being adapted, and significant uncertainties about how certain transactions will work in practice remain. For a change that will affect virtually every Brazilian company, this should be a clear warning sign.

Tax Reform does not happen only in the Constitution and in laws. It needs to work within the company’s systems, ERP, product databases, tax calculations and, above all, in the issuance of invoices.

And what happens if, in January, a portion of companies simply cannot issue invoices correctly?

The issue goes beyond Tax Law. Without an invoice, a company may not be able to sell. If it cannot sell, it cannot generate revenue. If it cannot generate revenue, it cannot collect payments. Without cash flow, it begins to face difficulties paying suppliers, financing, salaries and even its own taxes.

The problem spreads throughout the supply chain. Those who cannot sell also cannot buy. Industry reduces production, commerce loses merchandise, carriers stop transporting goods, and suppliers stop receiving payments.

The Government is not protected from this chain reaction either. Tax revenue originates from economic activity. If companies cannot issue invoices and money stops circulating, public revenue is also affected. And the State has obligations of its own: healthcare, education, public security, social programs, suppliers and public employees.

Therefore, the right question is not simply whether the Tax Reform will come into effect on the scheduled date. The question is another: is Brazil operationally prepared for it?

A reform of this magnitude needs to be tested with known rules, stable systems and companies that are effectively prepared. Testing while regulations and procedures are still being defined is, in practice, testing in production.

Postponing certain stages or recalibrating the timetable, if necessary, does not mean opposing the Reform. It may actually mean protecting it, and protecting the Brazilian economy.

In January, it is not enough for the law to say that the new system has begun. The invoice needs to be issued. Goods need to move. Companies need to sell. Salaries need to be paid. And taxes need to be collected.

In the face of the fog, slowing down is not moving backward.

It is responsibility.