Chapter III · Determination of the taxable amount · Section II · Resident legal persons and other entities whose main activity is commercial, industrial or agricultural · Subsection III · Depreciation, amortisation and impairment losses on non-current assets

Article 32 Development projects

Artigo 32.º · Projetos de desenvolvimento

Código do Imposto sobre o Rendimento das Pessoas Coletivas · republished by Law No. 2/2014 · consolidated text checked 26 October 2026

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1. Expenditure on development projects may be treated as a tax expense in the tax period in which it is incurred, even if the items resulting from those projects are recognised as intangible assets in the taxpayers’ financial statements.

1 - As despesas com projetos de desenvolvimento podem ser consideradas como gasto fiscal no período de tributação em que sejam suportadas, ainda que os elementos deles resultantes venham a ser reconhecidos como ativos intangíveis nas demonstrações financeiras dos sujeitos passivos.

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2. For the purposes of the preceding paragraph, expenditure on development projects means expenditure incurred by the taxpayer in exploiting the results of research work or other scientific or technical knowledge with a view to the discovery or substantial improvement of raw materials, products, services or production processes.

2 - Para efeitos do disposto no número anterior, consideram-se despesas com projetos de desenvolvimento as realizadas pelo sujeito passivo através da exploração de resultados de trabalhos da investigação ou de outros conhecimentos científicos ou técnicos com vista à descoberta ou à melhoria substancial de matérias-primas, produtos, serviços ou processos de produção.

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3. Paragraph 1 does not apply to development projects carried out for others under contract.

3 - O preceituado no n.º 1 não é aplicável aos projetos de desenvolvimento efetuados para outrem mediante contrato.

What we checked in this article

The option to expense development expenditure in the period incurred, the definition of such expenditure, and the exclusion of projects carried out for others under contract are retained.

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Unofficial English translation prepared by BCA Portugal for reference. Only the Portuguese text published in the Diário da República has legal force. Editorial notes are ours and are not part of the statute.

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