Hugo Velez Ribeiro — Certified Accountant (OCC nº 64356), HVR Founder
Hugo Velez Ribeiro is a Certified Accountant registered with the Portuguese Ordem dos Contabilistas Certificados (OCC) — Cédula Profissional nº 64356, publicly verifiable at occ.pt. He is the founder of HVR Business Consulting, a Lisbon-based accounting firm established in 2014, which today serves 200+ SMEs and expat clients with a 7-person bilingual team. Hugo has 25+ years of professional experience: 15 years in Portuguese statutory auditing at an SROC firm (Sociedade de Revisores Oficiais de Contas, regulated by OROC), followed by 10+ years building HVR. He works with founders, expats and investors who need a Lisbon firm with deep technical expertise — not a chain.
Professional credentials
- Certified Accountant (Contabilista Certificado) — Ordem dos Contabilistas Certificados (OCC), Cédula Profissional nº 64356. Verifiable on occ.pt.
- 15 years in Portuguese statutory auditing (SROC) — financial audit experience at a Sociedade de Revisores Oficiais de Contas, regulated by OROC. Informs HVR's approach to clean accounting, audit-ready files, and risk-based tax planning.
- Founder of HVR Business Consulting — Lisbon (Parque das Nações), incorporated 2014. Direct lead Certified Accountant on file with the Tax Authority for every client engagement.
- OCC member in good standing — annual continuing professional education completed, no disciplinary record.
About HVR Business Consulting
HVR is intentionally a single Lisbon-based firm — not a chain or franchise. The trade-off is deliberate: clients work directly with the same team and the same Certified Accountant from onboarding through year-end. We onboard 8-12 new clients per month to maintain quality, which means we sometimes turn engagements down — but never because we lack the technical capacity. Every accountant in the team has Portuguese fiscal and SNC training; English fluency is mandatory.
- Founded: 2014
- Office: Avenida da Boa Esperança, Loja 4A, 1990-043 Parque das Nações, Lisbon (5 min walk from Oriente metro)
- Team: 7 people — accountants, payroll specialists, admin, all bilingual PT/EN
- Clients: 200+ active engagements as of 2026
- Sectors: technology/IT, real estate, e-commerce, professional services, expat-owned businesses
- Service mix: 70% recurring monthly accounting, 20% advisory (IFICI, restructuring, M&A due diligence), 10% one-off (company formation, tax appeals)
Why founders and expats hire Hugo
1. OCC-regulated credentials, not just "accountant"
In Portugal, only Certified Accountants registered with OCC can sign tax returns and represent the company before the Tax Authority. Many "accounting services" advertised online are bookkeepers — not Certified Accountants. The legal responsibility lies with the OCC accountant on file. Hugo signs every HVR engagement personally — the cédula nº 64356 is the legal identifier of who is responsible for your filings.
2. SROC statutory-auditing background
15 years at a Portuguese SROC (Sociedade de Revisores Oficiais de Contas, regulated by OROC) trains you to think in terms of risk, materiality and audit-trail integrity from day one — habits that translate into clean accounting, defensible tax positions and audit-ready year-end files. Practical impact for HVR clients:
- AT (Tax Authority) inspections close quickly because files are well-organised
- Bank financing applications get faster acceptance — financial statements look professional
- M&A diligence on the company surfaces no surprises (because we've already structured the records to withstand third-party review)
- SIFIDE II / RFAI applications succeed more often because R&D documentation is built throughout the year, not assembled at the deadline
3. Specialised verticals (not "everyone")
HVR deliberately specialises in five verticals where the technical complexity rewards depth:
- Technology & IT — software, SaaS, fintech, R&D-heavy startups. SIFIDE II claims, stock options taxation, multi-currency revenue recognition, IFICI for ICT founders/employees.
- Real estate — investors, holding structures (SGPS), AL (Alojamento Local), AIMI wealth tax, capital gains optimisation, IMT exemptions, real estate funds.
- E-commerce and online businesses — OSS regime, multi-currency, marketplace VAT, dropshipping structuring, cross-border B2C compliance.
- Professional services — consultants, lawyers, healthcare practices. Categoria B regime selection, professional indemnity considerations, partnership structures.
- Expat-owned businesses — foreign founders, IFICI / NHR (transition cases), fiscal representation coordination, double tax treaty applications, exit-tax planning.
4. Bilingual delivery — actually bilingual
"English-speaking accountant" is increasingly common as a marketing claim in Lisbon. HVR's team is genuinely bilingual: every monthly report, contract clause and tax planning email is available in English. We don't translate from Portuguese on demand — the English versions are written by accountants who think in English. For Brazilian clients, the team is comfortable with PT-BR vocabulary differences (CNPJ↔NIPC, etc.) — see our PT-BR landing.
5. Deliberate, transparent pricing
Most accountants serving expats don't publish prices. HVR does — see /en/fees for the full fee table. The strategy: be the most transparent firm in the market, refundable on commitment (the €250 IFICI assessment is money-back if you're not eligible), and price the work at "Lisbon premium" rather than "expat premium" — clients are expats, but the work is the same OCC-regulated work.
Why HVR is not the right fit (transparency)
- ❌ You want the cheapest accountant possible — there are bookkeepers at €60/month. HVR competes on technical depth, not on lowest price.
- ❌ You want a chain with offices in 10 cities — HVR is one office in Lisbon. We work remotely with clients across Portugal but we don't have local offices in Porto, Faro, etc.
- ❌ You need legal services (litigation, immigration) — HVR is an accounting firm. We coordinate with lawyer and immigration partners; we don't replace them.
- ❌ You need fiscal representation directly — HVR coordinates with specialised partners; we don't act as fiscal representative ourselves.
- ❌ You want to engage and disengage every quarter — HVR's accounting clients tend to stay 3+ years. We invest in the relationship; we expect commitment back.
How to engage
The starting point is always a free 30-minute call. Bring your situation: residency country, profession, expected turnover, whether you'll need a company. We send a written proposal with a fixed monthly fee within 24 hours. There's no obligation to proceed, and the call itself is genuinely free — we run ~80 of these per month.
📅 Book free 30-min call → · 💬 WhatsApp +351 965 463 618 · ✉️ info@hvr.pt
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Hugo Velez Ribeiro?
Hugo is a Certified Accountant registered with OCC (Cédula nº 64356, verifiable at occ.pt). Founder of HVR Business Consulting (Lisbon, 2014). 25+ years experience: 15 in Portuguese statutory auditing (SROC, regulated by OROC), 10+ leading HVR.
How can I verify Hugo's OCC credentials?
Public verification at occ.pt — Cédula Profissional nº 64356. The OCC is the only authority that issues and regulates this credential.
What languages does Hugo speak?
Portuguese (native, PT-PT) and English. The team is fully bilingual; comfortable with PT-BR vocabulary for Brazilian clients.
What sectors does Hugo specialise in?
Five verticals: technology/IT, real estate, e-commerce, professional services, expat-owned businesses.
Is HVR a chain or a single firm?
Single Lisbon-based firm. 7-person team in one office (Parque das Nações). Deliberate trade-off — quality over scale.
How does Hugo's SROC statutory-audit background matter for SME clients?
It translates into clean accounting, audit-ready files, faster AT inspections, and stronger SIFIDE II / RFAI applications. Many SMEs hire HVR when they outgrow generalist accountants.
How can I contact Hugo or schedule a meeting?
Email info@hvr.pt, WhatsApp +351 965 463 618, or book online at hvrbusinessconsulting.com/en/contact. In-person at Parque das Nações office or video call. Free 30-min diagnostic.