Portugal · Decree-Law No. 215/89 · republished by Decree-Law No. 108/2008

Portuguese Tax Benefits Statute (EBF) in English

The Estatuto dos Benefícios Fiscais collects Portugal’s tax incentives: the IFICI regime for people who move to Portugal to work in research, innovation and start-ups (the “new NHR”), the Madeira International Business Centre at 5%, incentives for start-up investors and for capitalising companies, investment funds, property, patronage and the regional rates. The whole Statute, article by article, in English with the official Portuguese alongside.

IFICI: Article 58-AMadeira regime: Article 36-A
English, Portuguese or side by sideConsolidated text, as amended in 2026Free, no sign-up
This edition
Articles in Englishthe whole Statute, including repealed articles127
Aligned provisionsline by line, EN and PT1038
IFICI rateon qualifying Category A and B income, for 10 years20%
MIBC ratelicences to 31 Dec 2026, rate to 31 Dec 20335%
Where the official consolidation printed repealed or superseded text, the article page says so and reproduces the text in force.
Contents

Every article of the Statute

Part I sets the general principles, Part II the structural benefits (social, savings, financial, free trade zones, capitalisation, property, research, restructuring, patronage, cooperatives), Part III the temporary ones.

Part I · General principlesPrincípios gerais
  1. 1ScopeÂmbito de aplicação
  2. 2Concept of tax benefit and tax expenditure and their controlConceito de benefício fiscal e de despesa fiscal e respectivo controlo
  3. 3Expiry of tax benefitsCaducidade dos benefícios fiscais
  4. 4Tax reliefs that are not tax benefitsDesagravamentos fiscais que não são benefícios fiscais
  5. 5Automatic tax benefits and tax benefits subject to recognitionBenefícios fiscais automáticos e dependentes de reconhecimento
  6. 6Generic nature of tax benefits; respect for free competitionCarácter genérico dos benefícios fiscais; Respeito pela livre concorrência
  7. 7SupervisionFiscalização
  8. 8Measures preventing, suspending or extinguishing tax benefitsMedidas impeditivas, suspensivas ou extintivas de benefícios fiscais
  9. 9Declaration by the persons concerned that the conditions for tax benefits have ceasedDeclaração pelos interessados da cessação dos pressupostos dos benefícios fiscais
  10. 10Interpretation and filling of gaps in the lawInterpretação e integração das lacunas da lei
  11. 11Temporal application of provisions on tax benefitsAplicação no tempo das normas sobre benefícios fiscais
  12. 12Constitution of the right to tax benefitsConstituição do direito aos benefícios fiscais
  13. 13Bar to recognition of the right to tax benefitsImpedimento de reconhecimento do direito a benefícios fiscais
  14. 14Extinction of tax benefitsExtinção dos benefícios fiscais
  15. 15Transfer of tax benefitsTransmissão dos benefícios fiscais
  16. 15-ADisclosure of tax expenditureDivulgação da despesa fiscal
Part II · Tax benefits of a structural natureBenefícios fiscais com carácter estrutural
    Chapter III · Tax benefits for the financial system and capital marketsBenefícios fiscais ao sistema financeiro e mercado de capitais
    1. 22Collective investment undertakingsOrganismos de Investimento Coletivo
    2. 22-AIncome paid by collective investment undertakings to their participantsRendimentos pagos por organismos de investimento coletivo aos seus participantes
    3. 23Venture capital and credit alternative investment undertakingsOrganismos de investimento alternativo de capital de risco e de créditos
    4. 24Collective investment undertakings in forest resourcesOrganismos de investimento coletivo em recursos florestais
    5. 24-ACollective investment undertakings supporting rental housingOrganismos de investimento coletivo de apoio ao arrendamento
    6. 25Fixed-term investmentsAplicações a prazo
    7. 26Share savings plansPlanos de poupança em acções
    8. 27Capital gains realised by non-residentsMais-valias realizadas por não residentes
    9. 28External loans and rents from leases of imported equipmentEmpréstimos externos e rendas de locação de equipamentos importados
    10. 29Financial services of public entitiesServiços financeiros de entidades públicas
    11. 30Swaps and loans from non-resident financial institutionsSwaps e empréstimos de instituições financeiras não residentes
    12. 31Deposits of non-resident credit institutionsDepósitos de instituições de crédito não residentes
    13. 32Holding companies (SGPS)Sociedades gestoras de participações sociais (SGPS)
    14. 32-AVenture capital companies (SCR) and venture capital investors (ICR)Sociedades de capital de risco (SCR) e investidores de capital de risco (ICR)
    15. 32-BTax regime for external loansRegime fiscal dos empréstimos externos
    16. 32-CRepo transactions with non-resident financial institutionsOperações de reporte com instituições financeiras não residentes
    17. 32-DRepo transactionsOperações de reporte
    18. 32-EIncentive for trading on a regulated marketIncentivo à negociação em mercado regulamentado
    Chapter VII · Tax benefits relating to immovable propertyBenefícios fiscais relativos a imóveis
    1. 44Exemptions from municipal property taxIsenções
    2. 44-AUrban properties used for the production of renewable energyPrédios urbanos destinados à produção de energia a partir de fontes renováveis
    3. 44-BOther environmental benefits for immovable propertyOutros benefícios com caráter ambiental atribuídos a imóveis
    4. 45Urban properties undergoing rehabilitationPrédios urbanos objecto de reabilitação
    5. 45-AUrban properties allocated to the Rental Support ProgrammePrédios urbanos destinados ao Programa de Apoio ao Arrendamento
    6. 45-BAcquisition of controlled-cost housingAquisição de habitações de custos controlados
    7. 45-CRental income from residential leasesRendimentos prediais no âmbito do arrendamento para habitação
    8. 46Urban residential property built, extended, improved or acquired for considerationPrédios urbanos construídos, ampliados, melhorados ou adquiridos a título oneroso, destinados a habitação
    9. 46-AResidential leases concluded before the Urban Lease RegimeArrendamentos para habitação celebrados antes do Regime do Arrendamento Urbano
    10. 47Property forming part of developments granted tourist utility statusPrédios integrados em empreendimentos a que tenha sido atribuída a utilidade turística
    11. 48Low-value property of low-income taxpayersPrédios de reduzido valor patrimonial de sujeitos passivos de baixos rendimentos
    12. 49Real estate investment funds, pension funds and retirement savings fundsFundos de investimento imobiliário, fundos de pensões e fundos de poupança-reforma
    13. 50Underground car parksParques de estacionamento subterrâneos
    Chapter VIII · Other tax benefitsOutros benefícios fiscais
    1. 51Shipowning companies of the national merchant navyEmpresas armadoras da marinha mercante nacional
    2. 52Entities managing designations of origin and geographical indicationsEntidades gestoras de denominações de origem e indicações geográficas
    3. 53Entities managing integrated systems for specific waste streamsEntidades gestoras de sistemas integrados de gestão de fluxos específicos de resíduos
    4. 54Sports, cultural and recreational associationsColectividades desportivas, de cultura e recreio
    5. 55Associations and confederationsAssociações e confederações
    6. 56Private educational establishmentsEstabelecimentos de ensino particular
    7. 57International scientific societies or associationsSociedades ou associações científicas internacionais
    8. 58Intellectual propertyPropriedade intelectual
    9. 58-ATax incentive for scientific research and innovation (IFICI)Incentivo fiscal à investigação científica e inovação
    10. 59Common land (baldios)Baldios
    11. 59-ASupport measures for road passenger and goods transportMedidas de apoio ao transporte rodoviário de passageiros e de mercadorias
    12. 59-BExpenditure on car-sharing and bike-sharing systemsDespesas com sistemas de car-sharing e bike-sharing
    13. 59-CExpenditure on bicycle fleetsDespesas com frotas de velocípedes
    14. 59-DTax incentives for forestry and agricultural activityIncentivos fiscais à atividade silvícola e agrícola
    15. 59-EExpenditure on organic certification of farmsDespesas com certificação biológica de explorações
    16. 59-FTax incentive for film and audiovisual productionIncentivo fiscal à produção cinematográfica e audiovisual
    17. 59-GForest management entities and forest management unitsEntidades de gestão florestal e unidades de gestão florestal
    18. 59-HFilm and audiovisual productionProdução cinematográfica e audiovisual
    19. 59-IProperties or parts of properties used for historic shops (lojas com história)Prédios ou parte de prédios afetos a lojas com história
    20. 59-JElectro-solar or exclusively electric vesselsEmbarcações eletrossolares ou exclusivamente elétricas
    Chapter XI · Benefits for cooperativesBenefícios às cooperativas
    1. 66-ACooperativesCooperativas
    Chapter XII · Benefits for invoiced expenditureBenefícios pela existência de fatura
    1. 66-BIRS deduction of VAT incurred on invoicesDedução em sede de IRS de IVA suportado em fatura
Terminology

Key terms

Tax terms follow our Corporate Income Tax Code translation.

IFICI → tax incentive for scientific research and innovation
The regime that replaced the non-habitual resident regime for new arrivals: a 20% IRS rate on qualifying employment and business income for ten years (Article 58-A).
benefício fiscal → tax benefit
An exceptional measure that departs from normal taxation to protect a public interest (Article 2); most are temporary and some need prior recognition (Articles 3 and 5).
reconhecimento → recognition
Benefits that are not automatic must be recognised by the tax authority or another body before they apply (Article 5).
Zona Franca da Madeira → Madeira Free Trade Zone
The legal name of the regime; in practice it operates as the Madeira International Business Centre.
Centro Internacional de Negócios da Madeira → Madeira International Business Centre (MIBC)
The licensed area of activity for industrial, commercial, shipping and services companies (Article 36-A).
entidades licenciadas → licensed entities
Companies holding a licence to operate in the MIBC; the reduced rate applies only to income from the licensed activities.
postos de trabalho → jobs
The number of jobs created decides the ceiling of taxable income that benefits from the reduced rate.
matéria coletável → taxable amount
The base to which the 5% rate applies, within the ceilings in Article 36-A.
auxílios de Estado / de minimis → State aid / de minimis aid
The EU rules that cap and condition the regional incentives (Articles 36-A and 41-B).
Sources and method

How this translation is made and checked

The Portuguese text

The Portuguese column is the consolidated text published in the Diário da República, including Law No. 73-A/2025 (the 2026 Budget). Before translation every line was checked against the consolidation kept by the Tax and Customs Authority on 26 October 2026.

The English text

Each provision is translated separately and aligned with its Portuguese counterpart, then checked by a second tax translator for rates, ceilings, eligibility conditions, time limits, excluded activities and dates.

What it is not

This is not an official or certified translation and not tax advice. Many benefits also depend on a registration, a recognition or a regulation outside the Statute (for IFICI, the order that regulates the registration), and some are extended year by year by the State Budget.

Applying the law

Portuguese tax benefits, claimed on time and kept

Most benefits in the Statute depend on a registration, a deadline or a condition that has to stay true for years. Tell us what you plan, and we will tell you which benefit applies, what it is worth and what must be filed.

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