Portugal: What You Need to Know for Your 2024 Personal Income Tax Return

published on 6 May 2025 | reading time approx. 3 minutes

The filing period for the 2024 personal income tax return began on 1 April and runs until 30 June 2025. During this three-month period, taxpayers must declare all income earned between 1 January and 31 December 2024, as well as other relevant information necessary to determine their tax situation. The declaration is submitted online through the website of the Portuguese Tax and Customs Authority (Autoridade Tributária e Aduaneira), using the official form — Modelo 3 and its respective annexes — which will serve as the basis for calculating the final amount of tax payable or refundable.

Tax Assessment

Taxpayers who are residents in Portugal, as well as non-residents who earned taxable income within Portuguese territory in 2024, must submit the tax return in accordance with Article 57 of the Personal Income Tax Code, considering the specificities of their tax situation as of 31 December 2024.

Completing the tax return and its annexes depends on various factors, including the taxpayer’s profile and household, tax residence, the nature and origin of the income received, applicable deductions and tax benefits, and any taxes withheld at source by paying entities.

For taxpayers with foreign-source income, it is essential to reconcile the Portuguese tax obligations with the relevant Double Taxation Agreements (DTAs), in order to determine whether specific types of income must be declared in Portugal and how to handle situations involving partial residency or tax presence in multiple jurisdictions.

Only tax residents in Portugal whose income derives exclusively from Portuguese entities may benefit from pre-filled or even automatic returns provided by the tax authority. However, even in those cases, it is crucial to verify the accuracy of the information and to include all deductible expenses that may reduce the final tax liability.

Tax residents in Portugal are required to declare all income, regardless of whether it was earned in Portugal or abroad. For this purpose, a specific annex to the Modelo 3 is available to report foreign-source income.

Special Tax Regimes: NHR and IFICI

Taxpayers who benefit from the Non-Habitual Resident (NHR) status or fall under the Incentive Regime for Scientific Research and Innovation Professionals (IFICI) are also required to file the annual tax return.

These special regimes require careful attention during this period to ensure the correct application of the regime and the appropriate classification of the income earned.

Disclosure of Other Relevant Information for Tax Purposes

Full or partial ownership of real estate located in such jurisdictions;
Vehicles, boats, and aircraft registered there;
Securities held in deposit accounts, shares, units in investment funds, and other financial instruments issued by entities based in tax havens;
Insurance or pension contracts signed with such entities;
Assets or rights held through companies, partnerships, or trusts established or managed in those jurisdictions.

This is a particularly important moment to ensure that all relevant income is properly declared and that the return is accurately completed to meet tax compliance requirements in Portugal and to optimise the taxpayer’s overall fiscal position.