Tax adviser, accountant or lawyer in Portugal
Tax advisers, certified accountants and lawyers all handle tax in Portugal. Here is what each one does, which one your situation needs, and where our advisers fit.
Our advisers are tax advisers. We advise on your Portuguese tax and file your returns, in English or Portuguese, working alongside accountants and lawyers where your case needs them.
Who does what
Tax work in Portugal is shared by three kinds of professional. Certified accountants and lawyers belong to their own professional bodies; tax advisers who are economists belong to the Ordem dos Economistas. Most of what a person needs, from planning a move to filing a return, is open to a tax adviser. The law reserves a few acts to accountants and to lawyers.
| Tax adviser | Certified accountant | Lawyer or solicitor | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Professional body | Ordem dos Economistas, for economists in its tax specialty | Ordem dos Contabilistas Certificados | Ordem dos Advogados, or the Ordem dos Solicitadores e dos Agentes de Execução |
| Strongest at | Tax planning, residence and regimes such as IFICI, international tax, returns, Social Security, company tax and dealings with the tax authority | Bookkeeping, company accounts and the returns based on them | Court cases, contracts and wills |
| Reserved to them by law | The title of economist, for members of the Ordem | Signing the accounts of a business that has, or must have, organised accounts, and the tax returns based on them | Representing you in court |
The title of economist is reserved to members of the Ordem dos Economistas, whose statute lists tax work among an economist's acts, from tax compliance and transfer pricing to support in tax disputes and in dealings with the tax authority.
Which one you need
| Your situation | Who handles it | How we help |
|---|---|---|
| Moving to Portugal, or coming back | A tax adviser | We set out when your tax residence starts and whether IFICI or Regressar applies, and make your IFICI registration. |
| Your yearly return, with income from abroad | A tax adviser or an accountant | We prepare and file your IRS return, with foreign income on Anexo J and the relief the treaty gives. |
| Working for yourself | A tax adviser or an accountant | We register your activity and, through Annual Tax Support, issue your invoices and file your VAT, Social Security and IRS returns. |
| A company in Portugal | A tax adviser, with a certified accountant for the books | We set up your company, advise on its structure, salaries and dividends, and handle its tax with our partner accountants, who keep the books. |
| A letter or an assessment from the tax authority | A tax adviser | We work out what it means, prepare your reply, claim or appeal, and support you through a tax inspection. |
| A case in the tax court | A lawyer, when the case is worth more than €5,000, and for any appeal | We prepare your claim to the tax authority and, if the case goes to court, work with your lawyer on the tax. |
| Selling a property or receiving an inheritance | A tax adviser for the tax, and a notary, lawyer or solicitor for the deed | We work out the tax on the sale or the inheritance and prepare what has to be filed. |
| A visa or a residence permit | An immigration lawyer, if you want help with the application | We plan the tax side of your move: when your tax residence starts, how your income is taxed and, where it applies, your IFICI registration. |
What our advisers do
Our advisers add most where a tax decision crosses a border or comes before you act: the year you move, your first return with income from abroad, the end of NHR, a sale, a company abroad, or the year you leave. We look at the Portuguese tax and at the other country's side in general terms, compare your options before you commit, and then file what follows, so the advice and the filing stay with one firm. Our work covers:
- Moving to Portugal, your IFICI registration and coming back under Regressar
- The end of your NHR and what follows it
- Your annual IRS return, as a resident or a non-resident, and past years put right
- Starting as self-employed, and Annual Tax Support through the year
- Selling a property, shares or a business, and inheritances and gifts
- Starting a company, staff in Portugal, moving with a company abroad and restructuring
- Leaving Portugal and your exit year
- Letters, claims and appeals to the tax authority, and tax inspections
- Your returns in two countries, reconciled
Every piece of written advice is checked, decided and signed by our advisers. Our founder, Telmo Ramos, is a member of the Ordem dos Economistas, in its College of the Specialty of Tax Management and Consultancy (Colégio da Especialidade de Gestão e Consultoria Fiscal).
What the law reserves
- As a rule, representing you in court is reserved to lawyers and solicitors, and you can appear for yourself where the law does not require a lawyer. In the tax courts a lawyer is required when the case is worth more than €5,000, and for any appeal to a higher court.
- Signing the accounts of a business that has, or must have, organised accounts, and the tax returns based on them, is reserved to certified accountants.
- Tax advice and an individual's tax return are not reserved to any one profession.
Questions
Do I need a tax lawyer or tax attorney in Portugal?
Only for a tax-court case worth more than €5,000, any appeal to a higher court or a criminal tax case. Tax planning, your return and replies to the tax authority do not need a lawyer.
Is a tax adviser the same as an accountant in Portugal?
No. A certified accountant keeps the books of a business and signs its accounts. A tax adviser advises on your tax, from residence and regimes to international tax, and files your returns.
Who can file my Portuguese tax return?
You can file it yourself on the Portal das Finanças, or a tax adviser or an accountant can prepare and file it for you. Only a business that has, or must have, organised accounts needs a certified accountant's signature.
Who can deal with the tax authority for me?
A tax adviser can. Our advisers file your returns with the tax authority, prepare your replies to its letters and your claims and appeals, and support you through a tax inspection.
Who can help me with my taxes in Portugal as a foreigner?
The right person is a tax adviser used to cases that involve more than one country. At Taxbordr, our advisers work with people who are moving to, living in or leaving Portugal, and prepare and file their Portuguese returns, in English or Portuguese. Where a case also needs an accountant or a lawyer, we work alongside them.
Tell us about your situation
We reply within 2 working days with the right service, its price and how to start. You can also write to info@taxbordr.com or message us on WhatsApp.
