CNAE codes for accounting firms in Brazil and how to prospect them
The main CNAE code for accounting firms in Brazil is 6920-6/01 – Atividades de contabilidade (Accounting activities). Audit and tax consulting use 6920-6/02, and finance BPO often appears under 8211-3/00. To prospect this segment, search codes 6920-6/01, 6920-6/02, 8211-3/00, 8219-9/99 as both primary and secondary CNAE, keep only active CNPJs, then filter by company size and city.
CNAE codes for accounting firms
CNAE (Classificação Nacional de Atividades Econômicas) is Brazil's official activity classification. Every company registered with a CNPJ declares one primary CNAE and any number of secondary ones. These are the CNAE 2.3 subclasses most used by accounting firms:
| CNAE | Official description (pt) | English | When it shows up |
|---|---|---|---|
6920-6/01 | Atividades de contabilidade | Accounting activities | Accounting firms |
6920-6/02 | Atividades de consultoria e auditoria contábil e tributária | Accounting and tax consulting and auditing | Audit, tax planning, tax BPO |
8211-3/00 | Serviços combinados de escritório e apoio administrativo | Combined office and administrative support services | Finance and admin BPO |
8219-9/99 | Preparação de documentos e serviços especializados de apoio administrativo não especificados anteriormente | Document preparation and other specialized admin support | Company registration and paperwork services |
Search primary and secondary CNAE
Many accounting firms register their real activity as a secondary CNAE, because the CNPJ was opened under another primary activity or because they do more than one thing. Firms that also handle company registration and BPO often list 8211-3/00 or 8219-9/99 as secondary codes. Filtering on the primary code alone misses part of the market.
Who sells to accounting firms
Accountants serve dozens or hundreds of companies, so they are both buyers and valuable referral partners.
- Accounting, tax and payroll software
- Digital certificates, e-signature and document management
- Invoice issuing (nota fiscal) and bank reconciliation tools
- Banks, acquirers and fintechs with partner programs
- Training on Brazil's tax reform (IBS and CBS)
How to build a list of accounting firms in Brazil
- Pick the codes: start with
6920-6/01and add6920-6/02,8211-3/00,8219-9/99depending on what you sell. - Search them as primary and secondary CNAE.
- Keep only active registrations (situação cadastral ativa) to drop unfit, suspended or closed CNPJs.
- Narrow by location (state, city, neighborhood) and company size (MEI, ME, EPP, other). EPP-size firms and above usually have a team and client base large enough to justify new software.
- Keep companies with contact data (email or phone) and save the filter as a reusable segment.
- Write a segment-specific opener and track replies in a pipeline.
1Lead runs all of these filters in one search over Brazil's public company registry, and its AI suggests adjacent CNAE codes from a plain-language description such as "I want a referral partnership with accounting firms in Minas Gerais". The product interface is in Portuguese.
Qualification signals
- Company age: firms older than 5 years have an established client base.
- Branches: firms with more than one CNPJ handle high volume.
- Secondary CNAE 6920-6/02 or 8211-3/00 signals higher-ticket advisory services.
How to approach this segment
Brazil's tax reform is reshaping accounting work through 2033, and accountants want productivity per client. Tie your offer to less rework on filings, or to a new service the firm can sell to its clients.
Example first message (in Portuguese, with translation)
Frequently asked questions
What is the CNAE code for an accounting firm in Brazil?
6920-6/01 – Atividades de contabilidade (accounting activities). Audit and tax consulting use 6920-6/02.
Can an accountant register as MEI?
No. Accounting is a regulated profession and is not among the activities allowed for MEI (Brazil's micro-entrepreneur regime).
How do I find accounting firms in a Brazilian city?
Filter the public CNPJ registry by 6920-6/01 and 6920-6/02 (primary and secondary), active status and municipality.
Where is the official CNAE table?
IBGE publishes it in the CONCLA online search, with the full hierarchy (section, division, group, class, subclass) and notes on what each code includes and excludes.