Rio de Janeiro government moves to permanently cancel Refit state registration

The Rio de Janeiro State Government has initiated the process to permanently cancel the state registration of the refinery Refit. The decision, published in the Official Gazette, follows an investigation by the State Treasury Secretariat (Sefaz-RJ) into what was identified as fraudulent tax delinquency.

According to authorities, Refit failed to meet its tax obligations by retaining ICMS values collected through the Tax Substitution regime instead of transferring them to the state. The company also failed to collect taxes due under the single-phase regime, despite having the financial capacity to do so. Refit has 30 business days to file an appeal, which will be reviewed by Sefaz-RJ. If the appeal is denied, the company will be permanently barred from re-registering in the state.

This action is part of a broader crackdown on the fuel sector that began in May to combat tax evasion and unfair competition. Previous measures against Refit and its affiliated companies include the suspension of state registrations and the removal of tax benefits related to ICMS deferment on fuel imports. State data indicates that ICMS revenue from fuels grew 87% between May and August 2026 compared to the same period in 2025, rising from R$ 1.57 billion to R$ 2.94 billion.