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Brazil's Supreme Court Reaffirms Inflation Floor for FGTS Yields

The ruling applies prospectively, with the FGTS council required to offset any shortfall below inflation.

Overview

  • The court, in a virtual plenary decision published Feb. 16, confirmed that FGTS balances must be corrected by at least the IPCA to preserve purchasing power.
  • It upheld the statutory formula of TR plus 3% interest and profit distribution only when the combined return reaches or exceeds official inflation.
  • Retroactive recalculation was rejected, with the standard to operate going forward to maintain the fund’s financial predictability.
  • The FGTS governing council must implement compensatory measures whenever annual returns fail to meet the IPCA benchmark.
  • The binding precedent in ARE 1573884, recognized with general repercussion, stems from a Paraíba worker’s appeal, with relator Edson Fachin deeming a simple TR-for-IPCA swap unviable.