DARF Day Trade

How day-trade DARF is calculated

In Brazil, day trade is when you buy and sell the same asset on the same trading day. That capital gain carries a flat 20% tax: DARF = (profit − costs) · 20% − IRRF (1% withheld at source). On the form you'll use code 6015. Say you made R$ 1,000 and paid R$ 50 in fees. The base is R$ 950, so R$ 950 · 20% = R$ 190; if the broker already retained R$ 10 of IRRF, what you actually pay is R$ 180.

Don't expect the R$ 20,000/month exemption here. It does not apply to day trade; that rule is reserved for swing trade. Day-trade losses can only offset day-trade gains, never swing trade, and they carry forward with no deadline. You have until the last business day of the month after the operation to pay the DARF. The legal basis is Law 11.033/2004 and IN RFB 1.585/2015.

Brazilian context

Most day traders work through platforms like Profit Pro, MetaTrader 5 or Nelogica, with brokers such as Clear, XP and BTG behind them. The broker holds back 1% IRRF on the net daily gain and reports it to Receita Federal. People call this the "dedo-duro" mechanism, since it flags anyone who skips their own DARF. But the monthly reconciliation? That falls on the trader, not the broker.

FAQ

Is there any exemption for day trade? None at all. Every centavo of profit pays 20%, no matter how much you traded that month.

Can I offset day-trade losses with swing-trade gains? No. Losses stay within their own modality. Day with day, swing with swing.

What happens if I miss the deadline? You'll get a fine of 0.33%/day, capped at 20%, plus Selic-based interest starting the month after the due date.

Do I still need to report it on IRPF if I paid the DARF? Yes. Every operation goes on the "Renda Variável" worksheet of the annual return, even when the tax was already settled month by month.