How to Issue a Recibo Verde in Portugal - 2026 Step-by-Step Guide

Exact walkthrough of issuing recibos verdes electronically at Portal das Finanças. Retention rules, VAT fields, and how to invoice non-PT clients.

By Andrew Kovalenko · Published 9 May 2026 · 6 min read

Contents

When to issue what
The walkthrough
Worked example: invoicing a US client
Worked example: invoicing a PT business
What to do after issuing
Common mistakes
Run the numbers
Sources

Once your freelance activity is open at Portal das Finanças, every payment from a client requires you to issue a recibo verde electrónico (literally “green receipt”, though they’re now electronic and white). This guide walks through the exact steps for the most common scenarios - PT business clients, individual PT clients, and non-EU clients.

When to issue what

Situation	Document type
Client pays immediately on invoice (most common)	Fatura-recibo
You invoice now, client pays later	Fatura first, then Recibo when paid
Refunding a client	Nota de crédito
Client never pays	Cancel the fatura within 5 years

For 95% of expat freelancers - IT consultants, designers, doctors with private clients - the fatura-recibo is the right pick.

The walkthrough

Log in at Portal das Finanças ↗

Same login as for any other AT action: NIF + password. Make sure you’re logged in as the cidadão profile (not as a separate company entity).

Navigate to 'Recibos Verdes Electrónicos'

Search “Recibos Verdes” in the top search bar, or navigate via:

Cidadãos → Os seus serviços → Atividade → Recibos verdes electrónicos

Click “Emitir” to start a new fatura-recibo.

Screenshot placeholder

Recibos verdes section showing 'Emitir' button and history of past invoices

See actual UI: InvoiceXpress walkthrough

The recibos verdes module. Past invoices on the right; click 'Emitir' to issue a new one.

Choose document type: Fatura-Recibo

AT presents three options:

Fatura (invoice only - client will pay later)
Fatura-Recibo (invoice + payment receipt combined)
Recibo (payment receipt only, after a previously issued fatura)

Pick Fatura-Recibo for the standard “client just paid you” case. The other two are for split-document workflows.

Fill the client information

Tipo de adquirente: Select whether your client is:
- “Sujeito Passivo” - a PT business with a NIF
- “Particular” - an individual (PT or international)
- “Não residentes” - a non-PT entity or person
NIF: Enter the client’s NIF (if PT) or VAT number (if EU) or leave blank with “Particular não identificado” if a small individual sale.
Designação: Client name (full company name or full personal name). Must match the NIF holder’s registered name.
País: Country of the client.

portaldasfinancas.gov.pt

Portal das Finanças NIF · 123 456 789

Atividade › Recibos verdes › Emitir Fatura-Recibo

Identificação do adquirente

Tipo de adquirente

Sujeito passivo (PT) ▾

NIF / VAT number

509 123 456

Nome / Designação

Empresa Cliente Lda.

País

Portugal ▾

Voltar Próximo: Serviços

Schematic - actual UI may differ. Illustrates layout, not exact pixels.

Client information form. The 'Tipo de adquirente' selector at the top determines which downstream fields apply.

Add the service line(s)

Designação dos bens ou serviços: Brief description of the work. Be specific enough that AT can identify the activity (e.g. “Software development consulting - January 2026” not just “consulting”).
Valor base: The amount before any VAT. If your client pays €1,230 total and you’re VAT-registered at 23%, the valor base is €1,000.
Taxa de IVA: VAT rate, if applicable.
- Isento Art. 53 - if you’re below €15k threshold and registered as exempt
- 23% standard rate
- 6% / 13% reduced/intermediate rates (rare for services)
Retenção na fonte: Critical - see next step.

Decide on retenção na fonte (withholding)

This is the trickiest field for new freelancers. It’s a prepayment of IRS that the client withholds and pays directly to AT on your behalf.

Three possibilities depending on your situation:

25% - Standard rate when you’ve issued less than €15,615 in professional services that calendar year. Most new freelancers and those with small income.
11.5% - Reduced rate available in your first year of activity (you can opt-in if income is below the €15,615 threshold).
Sem retenção (0%) - No withholding, available when:
- Your client is a non-resident (no PT NIF)
- Your client is an individual particular (not a business)
- Your annual professional-services income is below the €15,615 threshold AND you opt for no retention

Standard retention

25%

Default for PT business clients

First-year reduced

11.5%

Optional in year 1 if low income

No retention (€)

For non-PT or individual clients

Review and emit

AT shows a summary with the calculated total. Verify:

Client NIF is correct (you can’t edit after emission)
VAT rate matches your regime (don’t charge VAT if you’re Article 53 exempt)
Retention rate is the one you intended
Description is specific enough

Click “Emitir”. The document is issued immediately and gets a unique number. Send the PDF to your client (AT generates it).

portaldasfinancas.gov.pt

Portal das Finanças NIF · 123 456 789

Atividade › Recibos verdes › Fatura-Recibo emitida

Fatura-Recibo nº 2026/0042 - emitida com sucesso

Adquirente

Empresa Cliente Lda. (NIF 509 123 456)

Descrição do serviço

Software development consulting - March 2026

Valor base

€1,000.00

IVA (Isento Art. 53)

€0.00

Retenção na fonte (25%)

−€250.00

Total a receber pelo prestador

€750.00

Descarregar PDF Anular Emitir nova

Schematic - actual UI may differ. Illustrates layout, not exact pixels.

The issued fatura-recibo summary. Each issued document gets a unique reference number; the PDF is digitally signed by AT and can be verified by anyone.

Worked example: invoicing a US client

A US-based SaaS company pays you €5,000 for consulting:

Tipo de adquirente: Não residentes
NIF: their EIN (e.g. 12-3456789) - or blank if unknown
País: United States
Designação: “SaaS architecture consulting - March 2026 sprint”
Valor base: €5,000
Taxa de IVA: Isento (services to non-EU are out of EU VAT scope)
Retenção: 0% (non-resident clients don’t withhold PT IRS)
Total to client: €5,000

That’s the simplest case - flat amount, no VAT to charge, no retention. The full €5,000 lands in your account.

Worked example: invoicing a PT business

A Lisbon agency pays you €1,000 for design work:

Tipo de adquirente: Sujeito Passivo
NIF: their PT NIF
Designação: “Visual design for [project] - February 2026”
Valor base: €1,000
Taxa de IVA: depends on your regime (23% if VAT-registered, isento Art. 53 if exempt)
Retenção: 25% (€250 withheld and paid directly to AT)
Net to you: €750 (or €923 if you’re VAT-registered and they pay €1,230 gross with VAT) → AT receives €250 retained

The retention isn’t lost money - it’s a prepayment of your annual IRS. At year-end declaration, you reconcile against your total tax owed; usually the retentions over-cover and you get a refund.

What to do after issuing

Send the PDF to your client - most clients expect this directly, even though they could fetch from AT
Track payment - if it’s a fatura-recibo (paid simultaneously), you’re done. If it’s a fatura (paid later), issue a recibo when payment arrives
Income is auto-reported - AT’s e-Fatura system captures everything and feeds into your Anexo B at IRS time (Modelo 3). You don’t need to log separately
Track expenses on the buy-side too - see the Cat B deductible expenses guide for what to log on e-Fatura to satisfy the 15% justification rule
File the quarterly SS declaration - income from these recibos verdes feeds the SS contribution base

Common mistakes

Forgetting retention on PT business clients. If you’re below the €15,615 threshold and forget to mark “no retention”, AT still expects the client to have withheld 25%. The discrepancy is sorted at annual settlement, but it confuses everyone.

Wrong VAT regime selection. If you’re Article 53 exempt and accidentally charge 23% VAT, you’ve collected money you have to remit to AT anyway - and your client might dispute the higher amount.

Vague service descriptions. “Consulting” or “services” gets flagged in audits. Be specific: “Software architecture consulting - Q1 2026” or “Photography services - wedding event March 15”.

Issuing too late. Fatura-recibos should be issued within ~5 working days of payment received. Significant delays raise audit flags.

Run the numbers

The TAXCLARA calculator shows what your annual net looks like after IRS, retentions, and SS - once you have a sense of what you’ll invoice in a year. Set the year of activity to 1 if you’re newly opened and watch the year-1 benefits apply.

Sources

Try the numbers for your situation

Run your own scenario in the calculator.

Free, no signup. Same engine that powers the examples in this article.

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