Buying Florida Property from Brazil: CBE, Receita Federal and US Financing

What is the CBE declaration and does a Florida home trigger it?

The CBE (Capitais Brasileiros no Exterior, Brazilian Capital Abroad) is a census of the assets that residents of Brazil hold abroad, collected by the Banco Central do Brasil. The government service page says individuals and companies resident, domiciled or headquartered in Brazil with assets abroad must declare them to the Central Bank ^[1].

Filing depends on thresholds. As the official page read on 30 September 2026, an annual declaration, dated December 31, is required when total assets abroad equal or exceed USD 1 million or the equivalent, and quarterly declarations (March 31, June 30 and September 30) when they equal or exceed USD 100 million; below those amounts the page says the person is exempt ^[1]. Real estate is on the list of declarable assets ^[1]. The threshold counts your total assets abroad, not just the Florida property, so a home plus foreign accounts can add up.

The page says filing is free and is done online through the Central Bank's CBE system with a gov.br account of silver or gold level for individuals ^[1]. We could not read the bcb.gov.br pages themselves with our automated fetch, so confirm current deadlines and penalties with the Central Bank or a Brazilian accountant.

Do I list a US property on my Brazilian income tax return?

Receita Federal's 2026 questions and answers (for the 2025 calendar year) state that an individual required to file the Declaração de Ajuste Anual must list the assets and rights that make up their estate and that of their listed dependents, whether in Brazil or abroad, as of December 31 ^[2]. One of the listed reasons to be required to file is holding assets or rights with a total value above R$ 800,000 on December 31 ^[2].

For assets acquired abroad, Receita Federal says to describe the asset and its acquisition value in foreign currency as it appears in the transfer documents, and to state the amount of income, originally in reais or foreign currency, used in the purchase. The foreign-currency value is converted into US dollars at the rate set by the issuing country's monetary authority on the acquisition date, and then into reais at the Central Bank of Brazil's selling rate for that date ^[2].

Receita Federal publishes different rules for income and gains from abroad, which this page does not try to summarize. A contador who handles foreign assets should review your full situation.

Does Brazil have an income tax treaty with the United States?

When we read the IRS page "United States Income Tax Treaties - A to Z" on 30 September 2026, Brazil was not among the listed countries; those beginning with B were Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium and Bulgaria ^[3]. We read that as no treaty listed, not as legal advice.

The IRS says income from US real property owned by a nonresident alien is taxed at 30 percent (or a lower treaty rate), and that an owner holding property to earn rent can elect to treat it as effectively connected income so deductions are allowed and net income is taxed at graduated rates ^[4]. Because no treaty rate is listed for Brazil, ask a US tax professional whether the election suits a rental.

What financing exists for a buyer living in Brazil?

Buyers who live abroad and have no Social Security number generally look at foreign-national loans, described on our foreign-national loans page. Those programs belong to individual lenders, so we do not publish ratios, minimum down payments or rates; we tell you what our lending partners require after we review your file.

The contrast with agency-style lending is sourced: for consumer-purpose covered mortgages secured by a dwelling the lender must consider factors such as current or reasonably expected income or assets and credit history, and must verify what it relies on with reasonably reliable third-party records ^[5]. That rule, 12 CFR 1026.43, applies to consumer credit secured by a dwelling ^[5]; Regulation Z does not apply to credit extended primarily for a business, commercial or agricultural purpose, so a business-purpose investment loan, such as a DSCR loan, can fall outside it ^[9]. For you, that usually means assembling Brazilian bank records and tax documents, with translations where needed. Global G Home Loans is a mortgage broker; we do not give tax, legal or foreign-exchange advice.

What US tax and closing items apply to a Brazilian owner?

If you sell, FIRPTA applies when a foreign person disposes of a US real property interest. The IRS says the buyer is generally the withholding agent and the general withholding is 15 percent of the amount realized, with a residence exception for buyers who will live in the property, based on price levels ^[6]. The IRS also says foreign individuals who are ineligible for a Social Security number can obtain an ITIN to meet taxpayer ID requirements in these transactions ^[7].

FinCEN's page on its Residential Real Estate Rule says a federal court vacated the rule on March 19, 2026 ^[8]. Title and closing agents may still ask where the money comes from, so keep your transfer records.