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Recibos verdes: how much you pay in IRS, VAT and Social Security, and how much you keep

See how much you’ll pay in taxes and contributions, how much to set aside from each receipt and how much to charge to end up with the income you want.
  • Credit Intermediary and Insurance Mediator registered with BdP and ASF
  • Calculated with the tax rules currently in force
  • Intermediation service at no cost to you
What do you want to know?

Two questions to see how much you keep

€/year

years

We’re assuming a liberal profession, in the 3th year of activity or later, business clients, in Mainland Portugal. You can change everything under “In detail”.

How we calculate

We see how much of what you bill stays with you after IRS, Social Security and VAT. In the “How much should I charge?” perspective, we do the maths in reverse: we start from the net amount you want.

  1. IRS under the simplified regime

    Only part of what you bill counts for IRS, depending on the activity. For services in the table of art.º 151.º, part of that percentage depends on you justifying expenses. At the start of activity there are reductions. We also show the withholding tax and when you can be exempt from it.Legal rule · CIRS, art.º 31.º, 101.º e 101.º-B

  2. Social Security

    The contribution applies to part of the relevant income, declared every quarter. In the first year of activity there is an exemption.Legal rule · Código Contributivo, art.º 162.º a 168.º

  3. VAT

    Up to the annual limit you are exempt. Above it you charge VAT to the client and hand it over to the State: it is not your money.Legal rule · CIVA, art.º 53.º

Illustrative cases

Illustration of Gonçalo
Illustrative example

Withholding is not the final tax

Gonçalo thought the withheld 23% was the tax. It wasn’t.He is 31, a graphic designer and lives in Barreiro. He’s in his 3st year on green receipts and bills €30,000 per year, always to companies. Every month he saw 23% being withheld and thought his IRS was paid.
  • Barreiro
  • 31 years old
  • Graphic designer
  • €30,000 per year
  • 3st year of activity
The final IRS was €3,696, much less than the €6,900 withheld. But Social Security cost €4,494 per year and no one withheld it for him. And the €6,900 in VAT he charged had to be paid over.
AmountPer yearWhat it is
IRS withheld€6,900advance payment
Final IRS€3,696refund
Social Security€4,494to set aside
“In the end what I was missing was setting aside Social Security, not IRS.” — Gonçalo

Social Security €375

Estimated IRS refund€3,204

Estimated IRS refund€3,204in next year’s tax return
Social Security€375per month, to set aside
He keeps€1,818per month, on average
Illustration of Mariana
Illustrative example

How much should your day cost?

Mariana was going to charge what the agency paid her per day.She is 38 years old, is a marketing consultant and lives in Cascais. She wants to keep €2,500 per month and is counting on 200 billable days per year. She was going to charge €150 per day, what the agency paid her.
  • Cascais
  • 38 years old
  • Marketing consultant
  • €2,500 per month
At €150 per day she would keep €1,818 per month. To reach €2,500, she needed to bill €43,402 per year.
Price per dayKeeps per monthGoal
€150/day€1,818below goal
€217/day€2,500goal
“I started quoting per day from this value up, not from what the agency was paying me.” — Mariana

Annual billing €43,402

Minimum price per day€217

Minimum price per day€217or €31 per hour
Annual billing€43,402without VAT
Set aside from each receipt15%for Social Security and IRS
*Illustrative, non-binding example, with fictional characters and values that do not correspond to the offer of any credit institution. This does not constitute a credit offer and does not replace an assessment of each client’s personal and financial situation, nor the approval of the lending credit institution. TAN, TAEG and MTIC values are presented under the terms of Decree-Law no. 133/2009 and Banco de Portugal Notice no. 5/2024; the actual values are set out in the Standard European Consumer Credit Information provided by the lending credit institution. CrediSegur (CRRF – Brokerage, Lda.) — tied credit intermediary registered with Banco de Portugal under no. 0001290. Illustrative case: characters, amounts and conditions are fictional and only serve to show how the simulator works, using 2026 rules, individual taxation and no other income. This is not tax advice.

Myths

  • Myth“Up to €15,000 a year I don’t pay taxes.”That limit is the one for the VAT exemption and the waiver of withholding tax. IRS and Social Security are paid all the same, according to income.What to do: set aside part of it every month for the following year’s IRS.Source: CIVA, art.º 53.º; CIRS, art.º 101.º-B.
  • Myth“I pay IRS on everything I invoice.”Under the simplified regime only part counts, depending on the activity.What to do: check your activity in the simulator and the coefficient that applies.Source: CIRS, art.º 31.º.
  • Truth“In the first year I don’t pay Social Security.”Anyone registering for the first time is exempt for 12 months. IRS is paid from the start.What to do: use that year to build a reserve for when you start paying.Source: Código Contributivo, art.º 157.º e 164.º.
  • Depends“I can deduct all my expenses.”Under the simplified regime there is no deduction of expenses, but in professional services you must justify part of your billing with expenses to keep the coefficient. With organised accounting you deduct your actual expenses.What to do: ask for invoices with your NIF and register them on e-fatura as business expenses.Source: CIRS, art.º 31.º, n.º 13.

The next step

You already have this answer. Keep going — each tool prepares the next decision.

About to start issuing recibos verdes?

A CrediSegur manager arranges your mandatory workers’ compensation insurance and shows you income protection insurance and a PPR in the form of insurance. For your tax obligations, speak with a certified accountant. You’ll be contacted within 72 working hours, or call +351 239 161 313 now.

Frequently asked questions

No. It’s an advance payment. In the following year, your IRS return calculates the actual tax on 75% of what you invoiced, added to your other income. If the withholding was higher, you get a refund; if it was lower, you pay the difference.
Three different things: the IRS withholding that clients with organized accounting apply (23% for liberal professions, 11.5% for other services), the Social Security you pay yourself every month (21.4% on 70% of what you invoice in services) and the VAT you charge and pay over, when you’re not exempt.
You’re exempt from VAT if in the previous year you didn’t invoice more than €15,000 (art. 53 of the VAT Code); if you’re starting now, it’s based on what you expect to invoice. If this year you go over €15,000 but don’t reach €18,750, you keep the exemption until the end of the year; above €18,750, the exemption ends immediately.
If this is the first time you open activity, no: you only start paying in the 12rd month. If you have been registered before, you pay from the month you restart. After that, you pay 21.4% on 70% of what you bill in services and 25.2% on 20% in sales (the rate for sole proprietors), with a minimum of €20 per month. If you also have an employment contract, you are exempt while the relevant income is below 4 times the IAS and, above that, you only pay on the part that exceeds this amount, provided you work for different entities with no group relationship and your salary is at least 1 time the IAS.
For services, 15% of what you invoice has to be backed by business expenses on the e-fatura system. Part of this is already covered by the automatic deduction (€4,587 or the Social Security you paid, whichever is higher). Any shortfall is added to your taxable income.
Yes. Anyone working with recibos verdes must have workers’ compensation insurance in place before the first invoice. Without it, you risk a fine and have no protection if you get hurt while working. A CrediSegur manager can handle this with you.
Official data verified on 10/20/2026 · Sources: Diário da República, Autoridade Tributária, Segurança Social, Assembleia da República, JORAM (Madeira) · see sources
Important note: Informative simulation, based on the values you entered and on the tax and contribution rules for 2026, under the simplified IRS regime and assuming regular invoicing throughout the year: coefficient of 75% for liberal professions, withholding of 23% above €15,000 and contribution of 21.4% on 70% of relevant income. VAT assumes the exemption under art. 53 of the VAT Code up to €15,000. Organized accounting, deductible VAT, non-residents, isolated acts and special regimes are not included. This is not tax advice. CRRF – BROKERAGE, LDA (CrediSegur) is a tied credit intermediary registered with Banco de Portugal (no. 0001290) and an insurance agent registered with the ASF (no. 421571530).Sources (in Portuguese) — Self-employment: CIRS (art.º 31.º, 101.º e 101.º-B), CIVA (art.º 53.º) e Código Contributivo (art.º 162.º a 168.º) · VAT: Art.º 18.º do CIVA (continente e regiões autónomas) · IRS: Art.º 68.º do CIRS, Lei n.º 73-A/2025 (OE 2026); art.º 68.º-A (solidariedade); art.º 70.º (mínimo de existência) · Parameters updated on October 2, 2026.