What Is a CNPJ? Brazil's Company Tax ID Explained
A CNPJ is a company's 14-digit tax ID in Brazil, issued by the Receita Federal. What it is, its structure, what it is for and the new alphanumeric CNPJ.
A CNPJ (Cadastro Nacional da Pessoa Jurídica) is a company’s tax ID in Brazil — the business equivalent of a person’s CPF. It is a 14-digit number issued by the Receita Federal that identifies the company in everything official: issuing invoices, hiring staff, paying taxes, opening a bank account and bidding for contracts. Every company has one, from a MEI up to an S.A., and the number is created at the end of registration, after the Junta Comercial approves the incorporation act and the MAT step is completed. From 31 July 2026, new CNPJs can also contain letters.
What a CNPJ is
The CNPJ is a database kept by the Receita Federal that stores the registration data of legal entities, and the number is how each company is identified. It works for a business the way the CPF works for an individual: the CPF stays with the person who owns the company, while the CNPJ represents the company itself. Even a MEI receives a CNPJ, which is what lets a micro-entrepreneur issue invoices and hire one employee.
The structure of the number
A CNPJ is written as XX.XXX.XXX/XXXX-XX, and each part has a meaning:
| Part | Digits | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Root (base) | first 8 | Identifies the company |
| Branch order | next 4 | 0001 is the head office (matriz); 0002 onward are branches (filiais) |
| Check digits | last 2 | Validate the number |
The root is shared across a company’s units, so the head office and its branches carry the same first eight digits and differ only in the branch block.
What a CNPJ is for
The number is required for almost everything a company does formally: issuing invoices, hiring employees, declaring and paying taxes, opening a business bank account, taking loans and taking part in public tenders. Without an active CNPJ, a business cannot operate legally.
Registration status (situação cadastral)
Every CNPJ carries a status that shows whether the company is in good standing with the Receita Federal:
| Status | What it means |
|---|---|
| Ativa | Regular and operating |
| Suspensa | Registration on hold, usually for a pending obligation |
| Inapta | Prolonged failure to file the required returns |
| Baixada | Company closed and extinct |
| Nula | Registration cancelled as invalid |
The alphanumeric CNPJ (2026)
From 31 July 2026, the Receita Federal began issuing CNPJs in a new alphanumeric format. The number keeps its 14 characters, but the first eight positions (the root) and the next four (the branch order) can now mix letters (A–Z) and digits, while the last two check digits stay numeric. Existing CNPJs are not affected — they remain numeric and fully valid — and the two formats coexist for every legal and operational purpose. New numbers are issued gradually, and the change expands how many companies can be registered as the numeric combinations run out.
How you get a CNPJ
The CNPJ is issued at the end of company registration, which runs through REDESIM: a viability check, the federal entry document (DBE), the filing of the incorporation act at the Junta Comercial and the Receita Federal’s MAT, where the tax regime is set. Only after the MAT is the CNPJ released. In practice an accountant — a traditional firm or an online accounting service — files the whole sequence remotely.
Frequently asked questions
What is a CNPJ? The Cadastro Nacional da Pessoa Jurídica, a 14-digit tax ID issued by the Receita Federal that identifies a company for invoicing, hiring, paying taxes and opening a bank account — the business equivalent of a person’s CPF.
Does a MEI have a CNPJ? Yes. A micro-entrepreneur (MEI) receives a CNPJ on registering, and it is what allows the MEI to issue invoices and hire a single employee.
What is the difference between the CNPJ and the CPF? The CPF identifies an individual; the CNPJ identifies a company. The owner keeps their CPF, and the company they open has its own CNPJ.
What is the alphanumeric CNPJ? A new format the Receita Federal started issuing on 31 July 2026, mixing letters and digits in the first twelve positions while keeping two numeric check digits. Existing numeric CNPJs stay valid, and both formats coexist.