Chapter VI · Ancillary obligations

Article 128 Obligation to substantiate the information in returns

Artigo 128.º · Obrigação de comprovar os elementos das declarações

Código do Imposto sobre o Rendimento das Pessoas Singulares · republished by Law No. 82-E/2014 · consolidated text checked 26 October 2026

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1. Persons subject to IRS must, within 15 days, produce the documents evidencing the income earned, the deductions and other facts or circumstances stated in their return, when the Tax and Customs Authority so requires.

1 - As pessoas sujeitas a IRS devem apresentar, no prazo de 15 dias, os documentos comprovativos dos rendimentos auferidos, das deduções e de outros factos ou situações mencionadas na respetiva declaração, quando a Autoridade Tributária e Aduaneira os exija.

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2. The time limit laid down in the preceding paragraph is extended to 25 days where the taxpayer pleads difficulty in obtaining the required documentation.

2 - O prazo previsto no número anterior é alargado para 25 dias quando o sujeito passivo invoque dificuldade na obtenção da documentação exigida.

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3. The obligation laid down in paragraph 1 continues for the four years following the year to which the documents relate.

3 - A obrigação estabelecida no n.º 1 mantém-se durante os quatro anos seguintes àquele a que respeitem os documentos.

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4. The loss of the documents referred to in paragraph 1 for a reason not attributable to the taxpayer does not prevent the taxpayer from using other evidence of those facts.

4 - O extravio dos documentos referidos no n.º 1 por motivo não imputável ao sujeito passivo não o impede de utilizar outros elementos de prova daqueles factos.

What we checked in this article

The 15-day time limit, its extension to 25 days, the four-year retention period and the right to use other evidence where documents are lost for reasons not attributable to the taxpayer are retained.

How does Article 128 apply to your salary, dividends or move to Portugal?

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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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