Princípio da proteção à confiança legítima em matéria tributária e modulação de efeitos das decisões judiciais

Abstract

This work deals with the principle of protection of legitimate expectations on tax matters and modulation effects of the ruling. At first, we made an approach about the relationship between state and society, exploring the formation of the confidence. Further, we studied the relationship of taxation and pointed the need to protect the citizen, as a taxpayer, in spite of acts emanating from the state. We explain the concept of confidence, whose protection is moving up to the level of principle, discussing their relationship with other principles and including other sciences such as accounting and economics. We also developed the need to use the balance (proportionality and reasonableness) on the relationship between principles. Later, we move to analysis of the principle of protection of confidence in Brazil, especially by the judiciary and particularly in the sphere of taxation. From this point, we started thinking about the meaning and scope of expression jurisprudence, explaining that there are situations where its modification is necessary or even inevitable, necessitating the analysis of their effects in relation to citizens, even when it comes of tax matters. In addition, we seek plea in modulating effects of the judicial decision to justify the protection of legitimate expectations of taxpayers. Finally, we analyze some cases tried in both the administrative and the judicial tax, than we could conclude by the need to safeguard the citizen's right not to be surprised by the abrupt change of jurisprudence, to the extent that there are effective tools to prevent this violation of a constitutionally protected right to life.