How do I get registered for PIS under a permanent visa?

Your PIS number is part of the Carteira de Trabalho (CTPS) which you can't apply for unless you are in Brazil with at least a VITEM-V Temporary Work visa.

I'm confused are you still in the USA or are you actually in Brazil. If here then let me know ASAP and where. I will let you know what you need to do in order to apply for CTPS.

Cheers,
William James Woodward - Brazil & Canada Expert, Expat-blog Team

Aha! Mystery solved... I have my CTPS. I just looked in the front cover and there is my PIS/PASEP number!

I'm also assuming that I am eligible for the benefits of PIS. [edit: I think I confused PIS with the credit that you can get for paying off a mortgage and some other things...]

I've got my VIPER now. It's nice not having to fill out the little customs slip and keep track of it. They also mentioned I could go in either the line for brasileiros or estrangeiros.

BTW, I'll be residing in Recife.

Congrats dude. Hope the new job works out great!

Could you post what you will be doing for Brazil/US taxes?
I am interested in this information for myself.

Also, how did the work VISA work out bureaucratically? Was it a headache to get, or more dependent on the company applying for you?

Thanks for any information you could add.

Hi Tiger,

The USA bases income taxes on citizenship not on residence, so unless you renounce your citizenship and pay the multimillion "Exit Tax" like Tina Turner and others you will continue to be required to file an annual Form 1040 with the IRS no matter where in the world you live. You also are required to report any foreign income earned, regardless of where it is earned, as your "World Income".

Brazil does not have a Tax Treaty with the USA. Any income here in Brazil over R$14,500 (+or-) must be reported here. You will have income tax deducted at the source in most cases if you work here in Brazil and you will be required to file a DIRPF (Declaração de Impostos de Renda - Pessoas Fisicas) here each year. If you're lucky the USA won't tax you on your Brazilian income since you have already been taxed here, but don't count on it especially if you have any US income or assets!!!!!

Yeah, you are correct. On the Form 1040 you would apply for earned foreign income tax credit as a deduction.
(http://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc856.html)
U.S.A IRS Foreign Tax Credit
would imply on here that if all your earned income was in Brazil then you would owe nothing to the United States as taxes are higher in Brazil. You should be able to include all sales taxes in Brazil as well. Record keeping would be horrendous. I do want to find out from somebody who has gone through the process how it all works, more so how it all went.

Well as far as claiming any deduction for any sales taxes paid in Brazil that would be virtually impossible since they're built right into the final sale price of everything and as yet the law that would require them to be itemized separately on receipts still hasn't gone into effect.

Most people that I know of simply file their 1040 declaring their Brazilian income as "world income" and deduct any income taxes paid on that income. They also generally use accountants that are specialists in US income tax returns for expats.