Following the approval of the Portuguese State Budget for the FY2020 the following changes have been introduced regarding the Golden Visa and the Non-Habitual Resident (NHR) scheme:
Golden Visa
Before the Approval of the State Budget: real estate investment, for the purposes of obtaining a residency permit, was allowed to be carried out in entire Portuguese territory.
After the Approval of the State Budget: the Portuguese Government has been authorized by the Assembly of the Republic, for a period of one year, to legislate on changes to the Golden Visa regime.
Under such authorization the Government is allowed to limit real estate investment, for the purposes of obtaining a residency permit, to the Portuguese mainland’s interior and the Autonomous Regions of Madeira and Azores.
Furthermore, under such legislative authorization, the Portuguese Government is expected to increase the minimum amount of the investment required to obtain the residency permit.
Last, but not least, these changes will not affect the Golden Visas already issued under the old rules.
NHR scheme
Before the Approval of the State Budget: those under the NHR scheme would have their:
- Pensions exempted from personal income taxation in Portugal, provided that: pensions are taxed in the jurisdiction of origin according to the Double Tax Treaty entered into between Portugal and that jurisdiction; or provided the income cannot be considered as obtained in Portugal according to Portuguese domestic law.
- Professional income (“free-lancer” income) derived from high added value activities in only be exempt in Portugal, provided that: the income may be taxed in the jurisdiction of origin according to the Double Tax Treaty entered into between Portugal and the jurisdiction concerned ; or in case Portugal has not entered into between a Double Tax Treaty with the jurisdiction of origin, the income may be taxed in conformity with the OECD Model Tax Convention (in this case, this exemption shall only apply if the jurisdiction of origin is not considered a black listed jurisdictions and as long as the income cannot be considered as obtained in Portugal according to domestic law).
After the Approval of the State Budget:
- NHR status holders are taxed at the rate of 10% relative to net pension income. This measure can be offset through a tax credit in order to avoid any potential double taxation.
- Professional income derived from high added value activities from foreign sources can only be exempt in Portugal, provided that effective withholding tax is applied by the source jurisdiction.
The above rules are in force since April 1, 2020.
For more information on these matters, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Miguel Pinto-Correia holds a Master Degree in International Economics and European Studies from ISEG – Lisbon School of Economics & Management and a Bachelor Degree in Economics from Nova School of Business and Economics. He is a permanent member of the Order of the Economists (Ordem dos Economistas)… Read more
