Breakdown of A malha fina começa com uma pendência fiscal.
Questions & Answers about A malha fina começa com uma pendência fiscal.
In this sentence, malha fina is not meant literally. Literally, it means fine mesh or fine net, but in Brazil it is a very common expression for the tax authority’s screening system, especially for income tax returns.
The image is of a fine net that catches irregularities. So if a tax return has inconsistencies, it can cair na malha fina (get caught in the fine mesh), meaning it gets flagged for review.
So this is a fixed expression with a specific Brazilian tax-related meaning.
A is the feminine singular definite article, meaning the.
It appears because malha is a feminine singular noun:
- a malha
- uma malha
In English, the does not change for gender, but in Portuguese the article must agree with the noun:
- masculine singular: o
- feminine singular: a
- masculine plural: os
- feminine plural: as
So A malha fina = The malha fina / The tax screening system.