What is CNPJ?
The CNPJ is the national registration number of a legal entity, an EI or an MEI, issued by the Receita Federal. It has 14 characters, and new ones issued from July 2026 may contain letters.
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Example
A new company registered in late 2026 may receive a CNPJ with letters in its first 12 positions. Its two check digits are still numbers.
How CNPJ works in Brazil
Companies get the CNPJ through REDESIM when they register at the state Junta Comercial. Individuals use the CPF, which has 11 digits. Businesses that sell goods also have an Inscrição Estadual and service providers an Inscrição Municipal. AccountsOS accepts alphanumeric CNPJs and takes the number from you; it has no Brazilian registry lookup.
Related terms
The MEI is an individual entrepreneur with revenue up to R$81,000 a year and at most one employee, who pays a fixed monthly DAS-MEI instead of calculating taxes.
The NF-e is the electronic invoice for goods, authorised by the state SEFAZ. The NFS-e is the electronic invoice for services, now on the national standard. Both are mandatory, and AccountsOS issues neither.
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