Glossary

Key IMT and stamp-duty terms, shown in both English and Portuguese.

IMT (Municipal Property Transfer Tax) · IMT (Imposto Municipal sobre as Transmissões Onerosas de Imóveis)

A one-off municipal tax on transfers of property for value, paid by the buyer before the deed is signed.

Stamp duty · Imposto do Selo

A tax on legal acts and documents. On a purchase it is 0.8% of the taxable value (TGIS verba 1.1), plus a charge on any mortgage (verba 17).

Taxable value (VPT) · VPT (Valor Patrimonial Tributário)

The tax authority's rateable value of a property. IMT and stamp duty are charged on whichever is higher, the price or the VPT.

Own permanent home (HPP) · Habitação própria e permanente (HPP)

A dwelling that is the buyer's main and permanent residence. It uses a lower IMT table with an exempt first band.

IMT Jovem (young buyers' relief) · IMT Jovem

Relief for a first own permanent home bought by people aged 35 or under: both IMT and the 0.8% acquisition stamp duty are exempt up to a ceiling (€330,539 on the mainland in 2026) and charged only on the excess above it.

Non-resident · Não residente

For IMT, a buyer who is not tax-resident in Portugal. Since 2026 they pay a flat 7.5% on housing (CIMT art. 17.º n.º 10), unless an exception applies.

Tax haven · Paraíso fiscal

A jurisdiction on Portugal's blacklist. An entity domiciled there pays a flat 10% IMT (art. 17.º n.º 4); this does not apply to individuals.

Rate and deduction · Taxa e parcela a abater

IMT is progressive: tax = value × the band's marginal rate − a fixed deduction that keeps the bands continuous.

Flat rate · Taxa única

For high-value property the progressive bands give way to a single flat rate applied to the whole value.

Co-ownership & the totality rule · Compropriedade e a regra da totalidade

When several buyers acquire the whole property in one deed, the rate is set by the total value and applied to each share (art. 17.º n.º 6 a) — buying together gives no band-splitting advantage.

Deed · Escritura

The notarial contract that transfers the property. IMT and stamp duty must be paid before it is signed.

Moderate rent · Renda moderada

A rent within the limits of Decreto-Lei n.º 97/2026. A non-resident who lets the home at moderate rent can reclaim the 7.5% surcharge down to ordinary rates.

Tax Authority (AT) · Autoridade Tributária e Aduaneira (AT)

Portugal's tax and customs authority, which assesses and collects IMT and stamp duty.