Digital certificates and e-CAC: when you need one and how to log in

e-CAC (Centro Virtual de Atendimento, the Virtual Service Center) is the Brazilian Federal Revenue Service (Receita Federal) portal where individuals and companies check their tax status, issue tax clearance certificates, track tax returns, set up installment plans for debts and resolve pending issues without going to a service office.

Today there are two ways to log in: with a gov.br account (the Brazilian government’s single sign-on) or with an ICP-Brasil digital certificate. Knowing the difference saves you the surprise of reaching a service only to find that your access level isn’t enough.

gov.br account or digital certificate?

A gov.br account has trust levels: bronze, silver and gold. The higher the level, the more e-CAC services are unlocked. For many people, a silver or gold account covers an individual’s day-to-day needs.

The digital certificate remains the most complete and most secure way to log in, and it makes a difference in three situations:

• Companies. To act on behalf of a CNPJ (Brazilian company taxpayer ID) in e-CAC (tax status, clearance certificates, installment plans, the company’s mailbox), the most direct route is the e-CNPJ, or the legal representative’s e-CPF with the company linked to it.
• More sensitive services. Some services and systems of the Federal Revenue Service and other agencies require a digital certificate, or are limited without one.
• Upgrading your gov.br account to gold. A digital certificate is one of the ways to raise a gov.br account to the gold level, which unlocks more services across the government.

Access rules for each service change over time. If a specific service asks for a level you don’t have, the e-CAC screen tells you what is required.

How to log in to e-CAC with a digital certificate

1. With the certificate installed (A1 on your computer, A3 on a token or smart card, or Cloud on your phone), go to e-CAC through the Federal Revenue Service website.
2. Choose to log in with gov.br and, on the login screen, select Seu certificado digital (your digital certificate) or Seu certificado digital em nuvem (your cloud digital certificate).
3. Choose the certificate and enter the password (PIN) when prompted.
4. To act on behalf of a company, use the e-CNPJ. If you logged in with the legal representative’s e-CPF, use the option to switch your access profile to the CNPJ.

Common login problems

• The browser doesn’t show the certificate. It’s almost always a missing token driver or certificate chain. Our support page has the right driver for each token and operating system.
• Expired certificate. Login fails without a clear warning. Check the expiration date and renew before it expires.
• Token password locked. With the administrator password (PUK) you can unlock it in the token manager. Without it, a new certificate must be issued.

Accountants acting for the company

The accountant doesn’t need the company’s certificate. An electronic power of attorney in e-CAC authorizes the accountant to use their own certificate or their own gov.br account for the services the company allows. It’s safer than sharing the certificate and lets you control which services are authorized.

At Target

We are an ICP-Brasil Registration Authority: we issue e-CPF and e-CNPJ certificates with validation by video call or in person in Extrema, MG, and we install the certificate with you by remote access. If the problem is logging in to e-CAC, our support team can help sort it out.