Doing business in Brazil involves many types of monthly, quarterly, and annual filings with the government. There’s also some reporting for statistical purposes from time to time, such as the Censo Quinquenal of the Central Bank of Brazil.

The Censo Quinquenal is a type of survey the Central Bank uses to measure external financing and other economic data of multinational companies operating in Brazil. It’s conducted every five years.

This year, declarations must be filed by Brazilian companies that had non-resident shareholders or short-term debt of at least US$1,000,000 with non-residents at the end of 2020. Investment funds managed by non-residents on the same date also have to file their Censo Quinquenal.

Filing is done online through the Central Bank’s website. It’s really fairly straightforward. Brazilian entities enter their CNPJ (tax ID number) and password; then they start reporting their non-resident investors and creditors.

The deadline for the Censo Quinquenal related to 2020 is August 16, 2021. And you don’t want to be late. Anyone who fails to file it on time or enters inaccurate information could face fines up to R$250.000 (almost US$50,000).

Individuals and nonprofit entities sponsored by non-residents aren’t required to file the Censo Quinquenal.

So if you had a company in Brazil on December 31, 2020, don’t forget to talk with your lawyer or accountant. There’s still time to file. And while you’re at it, double check to ensure that all of your other filings have been made.