OUR SERVICES

This consultation covers the fundamentals of your "moving to Portugal" strategy from a tax perspective.

This consultation covers the following groups:

-People who are still covered by the NHR scheme- we consultation focuses on how to optimise taxes under NHR.

-People who can qualify for NHR under the transitional period- the consultation focuses on the qualification criteria and how the process of obtaining NHR works and then on the outcomes of NHR status for the individual. 

-People who do not qualify for NHR- many people wrongly believe that if they don't qualify for NHR, Portugal will tax them to the teeth. Here we focus on various strategies to shield you from punitive taxation even without NHR. This includes a review of the eligibility for the new scheme TISRI.

A consultation includes :

• discussion of your specific income streams and how they would work in Portugal with or without NHR.
• 30 minutes, no written follow up

Fresh is the leading tax consultancy for expats in Portugal. We offer consultations by qualified tax lawyers, choosing the one with the nearest agenda available.

This is a tax consultation specifically targeted at digital nomads and remote workers, meant to help them understand how Portugal will treat their income.This includes: 

• discussion of your specific income streams and how NHR applies to you
• 30 minutes, no written follow up

Henriqueis a Portuguese tax lawyer and the digital nomad & crypto expert at Fresh-Portugal! He has a sound experience at international taxation lawyer for over 15 years working for renowned law firms like DLA PIPER and multinational companies such as BASF and SHELL. He holds a Master of Laws (LL.M.) from the University of California, Berkeley Law, USA. Henrique also brings to the Fresh team his tax expertise acquired in his last work cycle in Portugal within the web3 and crypto community.

This is a tax consultation specifically targeted at UK and EU citizens moving to Portugal, meant to help them understand how Portugal will treat their income.

This includes:

• discussion of your specific income streams and how special tax regimes (NHR if still relevant, TISRI if NHR is not) applies to you
• 30 minutes, no written follow up

Raquelis tax lawyer at Fresh Portugal with a higher education in Law and Business from two renowned Portuguese universities. She has several years of experience with Private Clients with a focus on tax planning and compliance, having begun her career at Ernst & Young (EY) and proceeded to work with some of the most reputable tax law firms in Portugal. She also brings to the Fresh team her expertise in tax filing and handling complex practical matters with the Tax Authorities

Most people obtaining a VISA to Portugal, either on their own, or with the help of a professional, do not consider tax aspects until much later - sometimes until it is too late.

We offer a holistic approach where we consider not only which VISA you can get, but also which one would do the best to your finances!

This includes:

• Discussion of your specific income streams and how NHR applies to you
• 45 minutes, no written follow up
• 2 specialists, covering both tax and immigration aspects

In response to strong demand, we created a joint consultation that covers both tax and immigration matters in Portugal. This is a consultation with two specialist - our Rebecca Castro who is the leader of our tax return practice in Portugal and Manuella Sena, a senior immigration specialist. It is very important to understand that the type of VISA and stay requirements in Portugal can impact the possibilities in tax planning, so having an integrated consultation that covers both aspects is very important.

Tax planning provides better Return on Investment than any $€ spent on anything else. It is the single best thing a person can do for themselves and their families to create and preserve wealth. A tax plan, designed individually, to optimise tax.

Tax planning is also like asuit because no two people are alike and it must be tailored to the specific individual, taking into account dozens of factors.

It is also like aninsurance policybecause it must be done early. Late tax planning is ineffective and could get people in trouble.

What is the difference between a tax plan and a consultation? 

The main difference between a consultation and an individual tax plan, in addition to having more time and receiving the plan in writing is that a tax plan gets at least two lawyers and sometimes more of our team to put our thinking hats on, look at your income from various angles and apply creativity to try and reduce your tax burden in any legal way possible. Tax planning is more of an art than a science and it often requires a level of creativity.

For people who already know that they want an action plan, we recommend skipping the consultation and moving straight towards tax planning.

An investment plan

A tax plan now also covers a detailed plan of investments into Portugal, including analysing asset classes you would like to be exposed to and optimal investment structures.

About the planners 

Tax planning always includes at least two tax lawyers considering your matters - one licensed in Portugal and another one licensed in another country. Our tax planners have extensive experience in international taxation and our firm is recognised as one of the leading tax firms in Portugal and is featured by news outlets and is being interviewed by nearly any expat influence group in Portugal on a regular basis. We combine international experience and multi-national perspective with the secret sauce of successful tax planning - creativity - to create carefully crafted, tailored and brilliant tax plans, adapted individually for maximum tax savings and maximum safety.

What can you expect? 

You can expect to walk out with a clear written plan and a clear idea how to go about your taxes when moving from another country to Portugal. We cover cross-border elements alongside colleagues qualified in Portugal who cover Portugal law.

How much does it cost? 

Tax planning is a tailored service and prices can vary. This year, we attempt to charge a flat fee of 3500 Euros from most tax planners (about 95%). If you fall into the 5% group that has a situation too complex to cover within our standard charge (large group company structures, non-standard crypto earnings etc), we will immediately refund you the fee and advise you of our charge. We do not offer tax plans during the tax season (April to June).

What does it include? 

It includes a learning phase with a review of your personal circumstances, a planning phase and a clear written summary of actionable steps for you to take. The plan will guide you towards the most efficient legal outcome.

What will it save me in taxes? 

Most of our clients will save hundreds of thousands of Euros thanks to tax planning. A small minority saves nothing, but at least knows that we exhausted every possible angle to look at their taxation.

What does it not include? 

The personal tax plan is meant for personal taxation of an individual or a couple.

It does not cover:

- Group corporate tax planning (but advising on incorporating companies as part of individual planning is covered)
- Immigration matters (but we often touch on immigration and identify potential issues/overlaps with taxation).
- Other non-tax matters (but we are very happy to give general advice about coming to Portugal or make referrals to professionals we know).

What about implementing the plan? 

We believe that the best actions start with planning and that planning. However, once the plan is ready, we are happy to help you implement it. This is a separate service for a separate fee.

Tax consultation is meant to offer an overview of how the tax system in Spain works and how it generally applies to you.

This includes: 

• discussion of your specific income streams and how the Beckham law applies to you
• 30 minutes, no written follow up

Marilo is a tax lawyer at Fresh's Spanish office. Her practice focuses on helping expats move to Spain. She is highly experienced in advising people moving to Spain from various jurisdictions and is an expert of the Beckham regime. She is a part time professor and a member of the digital transformation committees in Barcelona. Marilo analyses regularly the interaction with different income types from different countries, her consulting covering the Spanish side of the eventual taxation.

More info about tax returns:
-Our guide for filing tax returns.
-Our webinar.

One of our most popular services is helping expats file their annual tax returns.

We are often approached by expats who have been consulting high street accountants and received conflicting information. The tax return form is confusing but is easy for a local accountant to fill. The challenge is in the classification of income.

Our 2023 tax return service is the only service designed specifically for dealing with taxes of expats under the NHR scheme, covering also taxes that do not fall under that scheme. It incorporates our interpretation of the most recent case law and dealing with common income streams of foreigners.

Our most common tax return and is meant for people with income streams that include income from work, profits, pension and investments.

Who needs to file a tax return? 

You need to file a tax return if you were a tax resident in Portugal during 2023. You also need to file a tax return if you were not a tax resident but had income in Portugal (such as from a Property in Portugal).

How much does it cost? 

The tax return service for 2023 currently costs 800 Euros + IVA. In addition, as the deadline for filing has passed, a fine can be expected for late filing.

What does it include? 

This service covers 95% of standard tax returns in Portugal. In very special cases where the returns are very complex, such as in the event of multiple capital gains/crypto transactions, more than 2 countries involved or other issues we consider particularly complex, we may need to depart from the standard fix fee, but we will give you ample notification of that.

One of our most popular services is helping expats file their annual tax returns.

We are often approached by expats who have been consulting high street accountants and received conflicting information. The tax return form is confusing but is easy for a local accountant to fill. The challenge is in the classification of income.

Our 2023 tax return service is the only service designed specifically for dealing with taxes of expats, including under the Beckham law, covering also taxes that do not fall under that scheme. It incorporates our interpretation of the most recent case law and dealing with common income streams of foreigners.

Our most common tax return and is meant for people with income streams that include income from work, profits, pension and investments.

Who needs to file a tax return? 

You need to file a tax return if you were a tax resident in Spain during 2023. You also need to file a tax return if you were not a tax resident but had income in Spain (such as from a Property in Spain).

How much does it cost? 

The tax return service for 2023 currently costs 600 Euros + VAT.

What does it include? 

This service covers 95% of standard tax returns in Spain. In special cases where the returns are very complex, such as in the event of multiple capital gains/crypto transactions, we may need to depart from the standard fix fee, but we will give you ample notification of that. NOTE - the tax return in Spain does not include a declaration of foreign assets (form 720). This is normally billed at 300 Euro + VAT.

Update: special webinar transition period arrival packages are sold out. The below describes the currently available package.

Our arrival package is designed for people who arrive to Portugal in 2024 and believe they qualify for NHR under one of the 6 groups of the transition period (created a link to Portugal before 2024).

This package costs€2,500for an individual and€3,500for a couple and includes:

• Atax consultation and assessment of the applicability of the transition period. 
• A petition to register as tax resident with the tax authorities.
• An extended NHR application, with any argumentation required to support the right under the transition period.
• Defending rejections by the tax authorities (but excluding appeal proceedings / litigation)

The package does not include our immigration services.

Update: special webinar transition period arrival packages are sold out. The below describes the currently available package.

Our arrival package is designed for people who arrive to Portugal in 2024 and believe they qualify for NHR under one of the 6 groups of the transition period (created a link to Portugal before 2024).

This package costs€2,500for an individual and€3,500for a couple and includes:

• Atax consultation and assessment of the applicability of the transition period. 
• A petition to register as tax resident with the tax authorities.
• An extended NHR application, with any argumentation required to support the right under the transition period.
• Defending rejections by the tax authorities (but excluding appeal proceedings / litigation)

The package does not include our immigration services.

This consultation covers a discussion of the most suitable VISA types, such as D7, D8, D3, startup VISA etc.

We outline the process and explain it and identify any issues that may be relevant.

The fee of an immigration consultation is fully deductible from future VISA work done by our firm. 

We strongly recommend a real estate consultation as the first step ahead of considering to buy a property in Portugal. 

This is a consultation product designed for people who are interested in investing in property in Portugal.

This package is suitable for people who are interested in buying a property for their own use, as a holiday home (that may function as short term rental) or as a pure investment, either residential or commercial.

Typically, property consultations include:

Typical property investmentrequiresconsideringstructure and tax aspects. For example, should you buy through a company, a structure of companies, or directly? What are the tax rates for residential or commercial lettings?

Understanding the process andregulatory aspectssuch as the ability to obtain an AL license or a license to renovate.

We also consider mortgage aspects.We are happy to make introductions to friendly banks and mortgage brokers.

And finally, we explainreportingaspects and the duty to file a tax return.

FRESH is happy to support you throughout your journey of investing in Portugal. A property investment consultation is the first stage of that journey.

Next steps after the consultation: 

We offer full real-estate representation services. Our normal fees for representation in buying or selling a standard property (a single home for example) do take into account the nature of the property and the complexity of the transaction but they are never less than 2,000 Euros + IVA. Our fees include negotiations, checks, CPCV and the deed. They do not cover any out of pocket expenses or complex structures/plans. 

Not included in the consultation but normally follows it is an implementation stage, whereby:

Green Ocean:

• Offers full financial planning and advice, wrappers being offered as part of a portfolio of assets.
• Implements (% for setup, % for management).

FRESH Portugal:

• Provides a legal opinion to each client confirming the tax treatment.
• Files the relevant tax returns.
• Explains to tax authorities if needed.It is a new product!

We are now offering again a combined tax return service for both Portugal and the US.

For one person or a couple?

The price is for a tax return. If you are eligible to file jointly, it's for a joint return. If you are not, it's for an individual return. Note the difference between Portugal (common law partners can file jointly) and the US (only married couples can file jointly).

Who needs to file a tax return in Portugal?

You need to file a tax return in Portugal if you were a tax resident in Portugal during 2024. You also need to file a tax return if you were not a tax resident but had income in Portugal (such as from a Property in Portugal).

For one person or a couple?

The price is for a tax return. If you are eligible to file jointly, it's for a joint return. If you are not, it's for an individual return. Note that in Portugal, common law partners having the same tax residency dates can file jointly.

Who needs to file a tax return in the U.S.?

You need to file a tax return in the U.S. if you are a US citizen, green card holder, a resident or have U.S. sourced income. U.S. citizens living in Portugal normally need to file taxes in both countries.

How much does it cost?

Our typical tax return in both countries costs 1,800 Euros + VAT. We will advise you if your tax return is not "typical" and offer a full refund in such a case.

What does it include?

This service includes most tax returns in Portugal and the U.S. Essentially, it is a matter of complexity and if your tax return is more complex than a normal one, we will inform you what the price would be and offer a full refund if you are not interested.

This service includes FBAR filing.

The US return is filed by a consultant and although closely aligned, you will work with two different teams.

What does it not include?

Examples of complex tax returns where we will need to readjust the price:

• Any corporate tax returns (including US LLCs)
• Foreign company reporting in the US / CFCs.
• Large amount (over 15) of capital gains transactions
• Crypto
• Large amount (3+) of K1s or other similar forms
• State taxes
• Complex coordination requiring tax estimates for the other country

We are now offering again a combined tax return service for both Portugal and the US.

For one person or a couple?

The price is for a tax return. If you are eligible to file jointly, it's for a joint return. If you are not, it's for an individual return. Note the difference between Portugal (common law partners can file jointly) and the US (only married couples can file jointly).

Who needs to file a tax return in Portugal?

You need to file a tax return in Portugal if you were a tax resident in Portugal during 2024. You also need to file a tax return if you were not a tax resident but had income in Portugal (such as from a Property in Portugal).

Who needs to file a tax return in the U.S.?

You need to file a tax return in the U.S. if you are a US citizen, green card holder, a resident or have U.S. sourced income. U.S. citizens living in Portugal normally need to file taxes in both countries.

How much does it cost?

Our typical tax return in both countries costs 1,800 Euros + VAT. We will advise you if your tax return is not "typical" and offer a full refund in such a case.

What does it include?

This service includes most tax returns in Portugal and the U.S. Essentially, it is a matter of complexity and if your tax return is more complex than a normal one, we will inform you what the price would be and offer a full refund if you are not interested.

This service includes FBAR filing.

The US return is filed by a consultant and although closely aligned, you will work with two different teams.

What does it not include?

Examples of complex tax returns where we will need to readjust the price:

• Any corporate tax returns (including US LLCs)
• Foreign company reporting in the US / CFCs.
• Large amount (over 15) of capital gains transactions
• Crypto
• Large amount (3+) of K1s or other similar forms
• State taxes
• Complex coordination requiring tax estimates for the other country

This service is available for scheduling starting January 6. If you intend to apply for NHR under the transition period rules for 2024, please select the “Transition Period Arrival Package” service.

This consultation focuses on people who missed the NHR deadline and as a result have been denied NHR status.

It is the FRESH PORTUGAL view, and as recently iterated in a decision of the supreme administrative court in Portugal, that NHR applications must be accepted even if they are filed after the deadline. 

This consultation is meant to explore the options of people with denied NHR status or who haven't applied to NHR due to advice that it would be rejected and covers a discussion of the options and strategy to obtain NHR status as well as to recover any overpayment of taxes charged by the authorities. 

Pedrois a tax lawyer at Fresh Portugal. His practice focuses on helping expats move to Portugal. He is highly experienced in advising people moving to Portugal from various jurisdictions and is an expert of the NHR regime. Pedro is deeply familiar with the UK, US and many other tax systems. Pedro analyses regularly the interaction with different income types from different countries, his consulting covers the Portuguese side of the eventual taxation.