Seven out of ten MEIs do not see bureaucratic difficulties, according to a study by FGV and Sebrae

Seven out of ten MEIs (Individual Microentrepreneurs) state that they do not encounter bureaucratic difficulties in managing their own business. The data is contained in a study by FGV (Fundação Getulio Vargas), in partnership with Sebrae, which assessed the MEIs' perception of bureaucratic and tax obligations.

The survey reveals that 49% of respondents consider it easy or very easy to understand and comply with the legal requirements applicable to their activities.

The MEI Economic Survey report – Special Questionnaire: Bureaucracy and Obligations of MEIs indicates that more than 60% of respondents spend less than two hours per week on administrative tasks, which has little or no influence on sales activities, prospecting for new customers, investments and acquiring opportunities.

As for specific aspects, 36% of respondents consider it easy to comply with tax obligations, and 13% classify it as "very simple". At the same time, 31% say that finding a solution to the problem is neither easy nor difficult.

The survey included questionnaires on company satisfaction. 42% of respondents consider it very easy to understand and comply with MEI obligations in the industry, and 73% of entrepreneurs in small and medium-sized industries reported that they had not observed an impact on their operations due to bureaucratic requirements in the last 12 months.

As for regional distribution, the Southeast and South had the highest satisfaction rates, with 50% and 49% of respondents considering it easy or very easy to manage their own businesses.

But, according to survey data, 32% of microentrepreneurs responded that they encounter difficulties with bureaucracy. The main obstacles for businesspeople are identified as payments of contributions and DAS (Simples Nacional Collection Document), cited by 29% of the economic population involved. In second place are issues related to the exclusive use of electronic means of communication and interaction with authorities (18%). Equally significant are problems with understanding tax plan rules (16%) and issuing inspection documents (16%).

The difficulties are mainly associated with commercial MEIs (35%). The percentage of entrepreneurs who declared encountering obstacles in carrying out tasks related to the special plan was 37% in the Northeast, slightly higher than the national average (32%).