Where the units are and who operates them
8.5% of franchise network establishments are classified as inapt in the CNPJ, 99% of them for failure to file returns, compared with 14.2% in the same activities
Share classified as inapt in the CNPJ registry among the 96,512 establishments of the 503 measured networks, in any status, excluding MEI
See the full table (7 rows)
| Segment | Establishments | Active | Inapt | Suspended | Deregistered | Inapt, same activities | Inapt among those not deregistered | Same subset, same activities | Failure to file returns among inapt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gyms and sports | 2,804 | 85.9% | 1.7% | fewer than 5 | 12.2% | 6.9% | 2.0% | 8.5% | 100.0% |
| Food, including retail and distribution | 31,606 | 57.6% | 7.4% | 0.5% | 34.5% | 16.0% | 11.3% | 26.3% | 98.9% |
| Education | 7,228 | 44.0% | 16.8% | 0.7% | 38.4% | 15.0% | 27.4% | 26.3% | 98.9% |
| Fashion and accessories | 16,909 | 56.0% | 8.0% | 0.7% | 35.2% | 14.4% | 12.3% | 23.5% | 99.0% |
| Health, beauty and wellness | 19,451 | 62.6% | 7.4% | 0.5% | 29.5% | 12.5% | 10.5% | 19.0% | 99.0% |
| Services, tourism and other businesses | 18,514 | 58.0% | 9.6% | 0.7% | 31.7% | 13.3% | 14.0% | 18.9% | 99.4% |
| All measured networks | 96,512 | 58.2% | 8.5% | 0.6% | 32.7% | 14.2% | 12.6% | 22.1% | 99.1% |
Year in which the inapt status was recordedEstablishments classified as inapt today, by the date of their registration status. Receita Federal applies inapt status in batches, and 33.3% of the network cases are dated 2026, compared with 14.9% in the same activities.
| Year | Inapt network establishments | Share, networks | Share, same activities |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 10 | 0.1% | 0.0% |
| 2018 | 1,355 | 16.6% | 36.9% |
| 2019 | 614 | 7.5% | 12.8% |
| 2020 | 376 | 4.6% | 3.5% |
| 2021 | 1,120 | 13.7% | 17.8% |
| 2022 | 598 | 7.3% | 4.7% |
| 2023 | 509 | 6.2% | 4.0% |
| 2024 | 867 | 10.6% | 5.4% |
| 2025 | 0 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2026 | 2,718 | 33.3% | 14.9% |
The comparison in other subsetsRegistration status of the networks and of other establishments of the same activities and ages, with the standardization redone in each subset.
| Subset | Network establishments | Active, networks | Active, same activities | Inapt, networks | Inapt, same activities | Deregistered, networks | Deregistered, same activities |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All establishments, excluding MEI | 96,512 | 58.2% | 49.2% | 8.5% | 14.2% | 32.7% | 36.0% |
| Only with a trade name, in both groups | 96,512 | 58.2% | 49.0% | 8.5% | 14.9% | 32.7% | 35.4% |
| Including MEI | 101,457 | 57.1% | 42.9% | 8.3% | 14.2% | 34.0% | 42.4% |
| Opened since 2015 | 66,515 | 68.9% | 62.5% | 5.4% | 9.4% | 25.1% | 27.5% |
| Head offices | 74,904 | 61.7% | 52.4% | 9.4% | 13.2% | 28.2% | 33.7% |
| Branches | 21,608 | 46.1% | 37.9% | 5.1% | 17.5% | 48.3% | 43.9% |
| Excluding the 10 networks with the most inapt establishments | 78,165 | 60.3% | 51.9% | 7.6% | 13.2% | 31.4% | 34.2% |
Most frequent reasons for inapt status and deregistrationThe eight most frequent reasons in the measured networks, with their share of the 96,512 establishments. The CSV file shows the reasons by segment.
| Status | Reason | Network establishments | Share, networks | Share, same activities |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deregistered | Dissolution upon completion of voluntary liquidation | 28,835 | 29.88% | 32.29% |
| Inapt | Failure to file returns | 8,091 | 8.38% | 14.09% |
| Deregistered | Merger by absorption | 1,598 | 1.66% | 0.19% |
| Deregistered | Dissolution, differentiated treatment for micro and small enterprises (Complementary Law 123/2006) | 461 | 0.48% | 0.72% |
| Deregistered | Repeated failure to file | 304 | 0.31% | 0.77% |
| Deregistered | Inapt status (Law 11.941/2009, art. 54) | 291 | 0.30% | 1.86% |
| Inapt | no description in the Receita Federal table | 64 | 0.07% | 0.04% |
| Deregistered | Activity never started | 19 | 0.02% | 0.05% |
The CNPJ (Brazilian company registry) records, for each establishment, its registration status and the reason for that status. The indicator presents this distribution for the 96,512 establishments, each corresponding to a 14-digit CNPJ, attributed to the 503 measured networks, in any status, and compares it with that of other establishments in the same CNAEs (national classification of economic activities) and years of opening. Results are published only by segment.
Of the total, 58.2% are active, 8.5% classified as inapt, 0.6% suspended and 32.7% deregistered, that is, with the registration closed. In the other establishments, weighted by the same mix of activity and age, the shares are 49.2%, 14.2%, 0.6% and 36.0%. Among establishments that have not been deregistered, the share classified as inapt is 12.6% in the networks and 22.1% in the others. By segment, the networks' share classified as inapt is lower than that of the others in 5 of the 6 groups; in education, it is 16.8%, compared with 15.0%.
Failure to file returns is the reason for 99.1% of the inapt-status cases in the networks and 99.5% in the other establishments. This status results from the CNPJ holder's failure to submit ancillary tax filings for at least 90 days, under art. 81 of Law 9.430/1996, and does not amount to closure or to an infringement by the network, since the CNPJ belongs to the company that operates the unit, and the record may correspond to a business already inactive without formal deregistration. Among deregistrations, 91.3% have as their reason dissolution upon completion of voluntary liquidation and 5.1% merger by absorption. Among suspensions, 77.0% result from a temporary interruption of activities.
How we calculate
We start from the establishments that the observatory's census attributes to the measured networks, by the trade name expression and the CNAE subclasses of the network profile, in any status in reference month October 2026. The status comes from the census list, and the reason from the corresponding column of the Estabelecimentos (establishments) file of Receita Federal (the federal tax authority), with the description from the table of reasons. Establishments of companies that have opted into MEI (individual microentrepreneur regime) are left out on both sides.
The comparison uses all other establishments in the same primary CNAEs, outside any CNPJ root of the networks, with the distribution calculated by CNAE and year of opening and weighted by the networks' mix in each segment, because inapt-status cases and deregistrations accumulate with the age of the CNPJ. No figure is published by network. Segments in which a single network accounts for more than 40% of the establishments are presented combined with the related segment.
What this figure does not show
- Registration status describes the CNPJ, not the operation of the store. There are active companies with no activity, and businesses in operation may be classified as inapt.
- Inapt status is processed by Receita Federal in batches. Of the networks' inapt-status cases, 33.3% are dated in 2026, compared with 14.9% in the others, so the figure depends on the reference month in which the database is read. Before 2021, the legal rule was different, and older dates reflect the criterion of that time.
- The trade name is the current one. Units that left the network and changed their name drop out of the count, which tends to remove more active than inactive establishments, and inactive establishments may keep the brand long after leaving the network. Namesakes are included, and units with another name are left out.
- Other establishments include companies that never operated, which in principle does not happen with network units. For this reason the difference is descriptive and does not measure an effect of the franchise model. With the comparison restricted to establishments with a trade name, the share classified as inapt is 14.9%, and among those opened since 2015, 5.4% in the networks and 9.4% in the others.
- With MEI included on both sides, the shares classified as inapt are 8.3% and 14.2%. The networks have 4,945 establishments in that condition.
- The Receita Federal table of reasons has no description for code 32, which is recorded in the CSV without a description.
Frequently asked questions
What does an inapt CNPJ due to failure to file returns mean?
It is the status of a CNPJ (Brazilian company registry) registration whose company has failed to submit ancillary tax filings to Receita Federal (the federal tax authority) for at least 90 days, under art. 81 of Law 9.430/1996. It does not amount to the closure of the company and does not, by itself, show whether the business is still operating.
How many franchises have an active CNPJ?
Of the 96,512 establishments attributed to the 503 measured networks in the CNPJ (Brazilian company registry), 58.2% are active, 8.5% classified as inapt, 0.6% suspended and 32.7% deregistered, excluding companies that have opted into MEI (individual microentrepreneur regime).
Are franchise units more or less often classified as inapt than other businesses?
In the same activities and years of opening, the share of establishments classified as inapt in the CNPJ (Brazilian company registry) is 8.5% in the networks and 14.2% in other establishments. The difference is descriptive, since the others include companies that never operated, and the count of the networks depends on the current trade name.
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Where the units are and who operates themOther indicators in the same group
Maintained by Marktech, which serves franchise networks and franchises. The brands cited belong to their owners and are mentioned here only to identify the network the data refers to.