Accountant Fees in Portugal — Transparent 2026 Pricing
Most accountants serving expats in Portugal don't publish prices — you have to email and wait. HVR is upfront. Three packages cover 95% of expat needs: Freelancer €450/year (recibos verdes + IFICI annual filing), Microempresa €150-300/month (small Lda or Unipessoal Lda), and Lda + IFICI Founder Bundle from €2,500 setup + €1,500 IFICI + €300/month accounting (12 months included). No setup fees on accounting itself, no lock-in, cancel anytime with 30 days notice.
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The 3 expat packages — pricing breakdown
1. Freelancer Package
€450 / year
For: digital nomads on D8, freelancers under recibos verdes, sole traders without a company
- Annual IRS filing — Category B (self-employment), simplified or organised regime advice
- IFICI application + ongoing IFICI compliance (when eligible)
- VAT (IVA) returns where applicable — quarterly or monthly
- Double tax treaty optimisation (Modelo 21-RFI for foreign income)
- Social Security regime guidance (21.4% standard, exemptions)
- OSS (One-Stop Shop) advisory for EU B2C digital services
- One year-end planning call
Not included: company formation (you stay as sole trader), payroll for staff (you don't have any), personal IRS for spouse if filing jointly (+€150).
Most chosen
2. Microempresa Package
€150 – €300 / month
For: small Portuguese Lda or Unipessoal Lda — up to 200 documents/month, up to 10 employees
- Monthly bookkeeping (purchases, sales, expenses, banks)
- Monthly VAT (IVA) returns
- Monthly DMR (payroll) — Social Security + IRS withholding
- Monthly SAF-T file generation and submission to AT
- Year-end IES annual return + Modelo 22 corporate tax
- IRC tax planning during the year
- Dedicated Certified Accountant (OCC) — Hugo Velez Ribeiro
- Online portal 24/7 for documents and reports
- 24-hour response SLA on email/WhatsApp during business days
€150/month tier: ≤50 documents, ≤2 employees, single-currency, simple operation.
€300/month tier: 50-200 documents, 3-10 employees, multi-currency or e-commerce/OSS, analytical accounting.
Not included: personal IRS for shareholders (€250-450), IFICI application (€1,500), fiscal representation for non-EU shareholders (€200-350/year), company formation (one-off — see Lda + IFICI bundle below).
3. Lda + IFICI Bundle — founder turnkey
€2,500 setup + €1,500 IFICI + €300/month
For: founders relocating to Portugal who need a Portuguese company AND want IFICI tax status (20% flat rate for 10 years)
- Company formation — Lda or Unipessoal Lda via Empresa na Hora (1 business day)
- NIFs for all shareholders — EU residents and non-EU (with fiscal rep coordination)
- IFICI Application Package — eligibility validation, file preparation, AT follow-up until approval
- Bank account introduction — Millennium BCP / ActivoBank / Bison Bank
- Activity opening at Tax Authority (Portal das Finanças)
- Social Security registration — company + manager(s)
- 12 months of accounting at €300/month included
- Year-1 IES + Modelo 22 corporate filings included
- Year-1 personal IRS for the founder under IFICI included
- Bilingual team — all communication in English
Total year-1: €2,500 setup + €1,500 IFICI + €3,600 (12×€300) = €7,600 all-in. From year 2: €300/month + €450/year personal IRS under IFICI.
Add-ons — clear, à la carte pricing
| Add-on | Price | When you need it |
|---|---|---|
| NIF for EU shareholder | €80 each | Each non-Portuguese EU citizen sócio |
| NIF for non-EU shareholder + fiscal rep coordination | €250 each | US, UK, Brazilian, Indian shareholders |
| Fiscal representation (annual) | €200-350 / year | Mandatory for non-EU NIF holders |
| IFICI Application standalone | €1,500 | If you don't take the founder bundle |
| IFICI Eligibility Assessment (refundable) | €250 | If unsure whether you qualify; €250 credited toward the €1,500 if you proceed; refunded if HVR confirms ineligibility |
| Personal IRS for founder (one-off / annual) | €250-450 | Simple case €250; multi-source/foreign income €450 |
| Personal IRS for additional family member | €150 each | Spouse, dependent |
| Annual IFICI Tax Filing (recurring after year 1) | €450 / year | Years 2-10 of the IFICI window |
| External CFO (fractional) | From €500/month | Companies €1M+ revenue or pre-Series A |
| SIFIDE II R&D credit application | 10-15% of approved credit (success fee) | Tech and innovation companies |
What's NOT in any HVR package (transparency)
- ❌ Visa applications (D2, D8, Golden Visa) — we coordinate with immigration lawyers; not legal advice
- ❌ Bank account opening guarantee — we make introductions; the bank decides
- ❌ Fiscal representation directly — we coordinate with specialised partners
- ❌ Crypto-specific tax rulings — case-by-case quote
- ❌ M&A or capital markets transaction support — quoted separately
- ❌ Inheritance planning — coordinated with notary/lawyer partners
How HVR fees compare to other expat-focused accountants in Portugal (2026)
From benchmarking across the Lisbon expat market in early 2026:
- Small Lda accounting: HVR €150-300/mo · expat-focused chains €200-450/mo · Big 4 €1,200+/mo
- IFICI/NHR application: HVR €1,500 (with €250 refundable assessment) · most others €1,500-3,000 with no money-back
- Company formation turnkey for foreigners: HVR €2,500 · expat chains €3,000-5,000 · Big 4 €8,000+
- Setup fees on accounting: HVR €0 · most others €300-800 onboarding
- Lock-in periods: HVR 30 days notice · most others 6-12 months
HVR's pricing strategy: be the most transparent, refundable on commitment, and price the work at "Lisbon premium" rather than "expat premium" — clients are expats, but the work is the same OCC-regulated work as for Portuguese clients.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to have an accountant in Portugal?
For expats in 2026: Freelancer (recibos verdes) ~€450/year for IRS+IFICI filing. Small Lda or Unipessoal €150-300/month. Founder bundle (company + IFICI + 12 months accounting) starts at €2,500 setup + €1,500 IFICI + €300/month. No setup fees on accounting itself.
Is there a setup fee for accounting?
No. HVR does not charge setup fees on the monthly accounting service. One-off fees apply only for specific deliverables (company formation, IFICI application, NIF for non-EU shareholders, one-time IRS filing for arrivals).
Do you charge for IRS filing?
Personal IRS for the founder is included in the Freelancer Package and in the Lda + IFICI Bundle (year 1). For Microempresa clients, personal IRS is €250-450 depending on complexity.
What is included in the €150/month Microempresa package?
Bookkeeping (≤50 docs), payroll (≤2 employees), monthly VAT, DMR, SAF-T, year-end IES + Modelo 22, dedicated OCC accountant, 24-hour response SLA. Does NOT include personal IRS, IFICI application, or fiscal representation.
When do I need the €300/month tier instead of €150?
When you hit any of: 50+ documents/month, 3+ employees, multi-currency clients, e-commerce/OSS, or analytical accounting. Use the pricing calculator for an automatic recommendation.
Are there hidden fees, lock-ins, or cancellation penalties?
No. Cancel monthly accounting with 30 days notice — no penalties. Document migration to a new accountant is handled at no cost. All one-off fees are clearly listed in the proposal at engagement.
How does HVR pricing compare to other accountants for expats in Portugal?
HVR publishes prices upfront — most competitors don't. HVR is typically 20-40% cheaper than expat-focused chains for accounting and IFICI, with a refundable eligibility check that competitors don't offer.
What about VAT (IVA) — does my company need to register?
Companies above €15,000 turnover must register and charge VAT (23% mainland, 22% Madeira, 16% Azores). For EU B2B services, reverse-charge applies. For EU B2C digital services above €10,000 cross-border, OSS is mandatory. HVR handles all VAT registration and returns within the standard packages.
Can I switch from another accountant mid-year?
Yes. HVR runs the full transition process at no cost for new clients (1-4 weeks). See how to change accountant guide.
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The fastest way to get an exact price for your situation: book a free 30-min call. Bring your residency status, profession, expected turnover and whether you'll need a company. We send a written proposal with a fixed monthly fee within 24 hours.
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