Banco Santander and its subsidiaries are involved in lawsuits and administrative proceedings related to tax, labor and civil, in the normal course of their activities.
The provisions include legal obligations, lawsuits and administrative proceedings related to tax and social security obligations, whose object is to challenge their legality or constitutionality, regardless of the assessment that the probability of success, the amounts are fully recognized in the financial statements.
Provisions are reviewed at each financial statement date and adjusted to reflect the current best estimate and may be fully or partially reversed or reduced when the outflows of resources and obligations relevant to the process are no longer probable, including decay of legal deadlines, among others.
Provisions for the lawsuits and administrative proceedings are recorded when their risk of loss is considered probable and the amounts can be reliably measured, based on the nature, complexity and history of lawsuits, the legal opinion of the internal and external advisors, based on the best available information. For those lawsuits for which the risk of loss is possible, are not recorded and the information is disclosed in the financial statements (Note 24.h.) and for the lawsuits for which the risk of loss is remote, no disclosure is required.
Contingent assets are not recognized, except when there are guarantees or favorable lawsuits decisions, about which features no longer fit, characterizing the gain as practically certain. Assets with probable success, if any, are only disclosed in the financial statements.
On the favorable decisions to Santander, the counterparty has the right, in the event of specific legal requirements, to file a rescission lawsuit within a period determined by current legislation. Rescission lawsuits are considered as new events and will be evaluated for contingent liability purposes if and when they are filed.