Virtual store needs a CNPJ, because without it it is not possible to issue an invoice.
Does the virtual store need a CNPJ (National Registry of Legal Entities)? Here is a question that generates confusing answers. Generally, those who propose to comment on this say “no”, but then immediately say “yes”. So, production, do you need it or not?
Virtual store need CNPJ? What does the E-commerce Law say?
According to item I of article 2 of Decree No. 7.962/2013 , commonly known as the E-commerce Law:
• Websites or other electronic means used to offer or conclude consumer contracts must provide, in a prominent and easily visible location, the following information: I – the company name and registration number of the supplier, if any, in the National Register of Natural Persons or the National Register of Legal Entities of the Ministry of Finance.
As can be seen, the term “when there is” indicates that it is not necessary. However, without a CNPJ, your online store could have many problems, some of which I address below.
Virtual store needs CNPJ: the problems of those who don't have it
There are several reasons why an online store needs a CNPJ, including the following:
• To issue invoices :
Without the CNPJ, you will not be able to issue invoices to your customers. Many consumers, in turn, do not buy anything without an invoice, as without it they have no guarantee that they will be able to exchange defective products.
• To hire suppliers :
Suppliers are a fundamental part of a successful e-commerce business. It happens that good suppliers do not establish links with those who do not have a CNPJ. There are leftover bad suppliers, which could sink your store.
• To gain more credibility :
By relying on the CNPJ, your e-commerce business offers greater legal certainty for customers. By showing it in the footer of your online store, you increase your credibility and establish a relationship of trust with consumers.
• To collect from delinquent clients :
According to article 42 of Law 8.078/1990 (Consumer Defense Code), the supplier's CNPJ (in this case, its virtual store) must appear in all debt collection documents presented to the consumer.
Therefore, in these contexts, entrepreneurs whose virtual stores do not have a CNPJ are harmed.
How to get a CNPJ for your online store
To have a CNPJ it is necessary to open a company. Here are some company formats:
• Individual Microentrepreneur (MEI) : can invoice up to R$ 81 per year;
• Microenterprise (ME) : can have a revenue of up to R$ 360 per year;
• Small Business (EPP) : can have a revenue of up to R$ 4,8 million per year;
• Regular company : no revenue limit.
Determine the initial size of your business and hire an accounting advisor to help you in the process of opening the company.
When is it an advantage to open a virtual store without a CNPJ?
Despite the importance of a virtual store having a CNPJ, there are cases where not having it is an advantage. For example, in the entrepreneurship process of a new business, informal stores are useful for testing.
In other words, when you're planning a new business, it can be a good idea to create small, informal online stores (without a CNPJ – Brazilian business registration number) to test the viability of your product mix.
In addition, informal stores can also be used to perform A/B tests, which will help you better define the Design, layout and usability of your interface.
Basically, this is how a large portion of e-commerce businesses emerge (without a CNPJ – Brazilian business registration number). Access the post “ Does an online store make money? ” and learn more about this. In this article, I recount cases of people who started selling products on blogs and/or Facebook. Only after realizing that the business was viable did these people move on to creating formalized online stores.
To conclude, when a deal is still in testing, formality doesn't make much sense and isn't important. However, after the prototype phase, a virtual store needs to have a CNPJ (although, according to the E-commerce Law, this is not mandatory).
