2025 – VAT and Invoicing in Portugal – notes to keep in mind

Qualified Electronic Signatures in invoices – only in 2026  

The State Budget indicates that until December 31, 2025, PDF invoices will continue to be accepted and considered as electronic invoices for all purposes under fiscal legislation.

This means that the requirement for Qualified Electronic Signatures in electronic invoices will be (again) postponed. The new expected date is now 1 Jan 2026.

 

Intrastat thresholds for Portugal 2025 

Intrastat is submitted alongside VAT returns to allow for statistical report of intracommunity deliveries and supplies. Only taxpayers that reach a given threshold are liable for submission of Intrastat returns next to INE.

For 2025 the thresholds are:

  • Arrivals:  € 650 000 per year  (previously € 600 000 in 2024) 
  • Dispatch: € 600 000 per year (same as in 2024) 

 

VAT – simplification measures announced by the Government – to be implemented until 2026

The Portuguese government announced 30 simplification measures of tax nature. The measures are intended to be implemented between the 1st quarter of 2025 and 2026 (no specific dates have been given to each measure).

In its majority, the measures simplify administrative procedures identified by the tax administration as burdensome.

 

We highlight the following measures with impact in VAT:

 

VAT – simplification measures What is foreseen? When can it be expected?
VAT refund
For requests over € 30.000, possibility for taxpayers to get the immediate refund amount against presentation of a bank guarantee + tax audit or evaluation by the tax authorities to the refund request return.
Between the 1st quarter of 2025 and 2026
Invoicing processing
Make the electronic invoicing requirements more flexible and align them with VIDA package
Between the 1st quarter of 2025 and 2026
Waiver of meeting the tax authorities in case of voluntarily regularization
Currently, when a taxpayer wishes to make voluntarily regularizations during a tax audit, there is a mandatory meeting with the tax audit team. In the future taxpayers will be able to make the amendments waiving this meeting
Between the 1st quarter of 2025 and 2026
Waiver of the VAT exemption in case of real estate transactions
Review of the formalities to make the waiver effective
Between the 1st quarter of 2025 and 2026
Waiver of SAD for exports below 1000 €
The customs export document will no longer be required to apply the VAT exemption on exports of parcels below 1000 €
Between the 1st quarter of 2025 and 2026 (although this measure is already pending for some time)

At Belim, we are available to help you check the application requirements, including the criteria for tax residence in Portugal and those relating to IC&IT activities, as well as the procedure for registering and submitting annual IRS returns, helping you to make the most of this tax regime.

 

Contact us for more information.

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