English-speaking Accountant in Lisbon

« Who can help me with my tax return? »

Before we talk about company setup or IFICI status, let’s address the question hundreds of expats ask every spring in Facebook groups and forums: « Who can help me fill in my Portuguese tax return? »

The Finanças offices are fine. The staff are sometimes helpful — especially when there happens to be an English speaker on the team, which isn’t guaranteed. But they’re not there to walk you through your English pension declaration, your investment income, or your rental earnings back home. In your language. With patience.

The Modelo 3 in Portuguese — with its annexes (Annex J for foreign income, Annex F for rental income, Annex G for capital gains) — defeats even the bravest expats. The Portal das Finanças is entirely in Portuguese, and even fluent speakers admit to getting lost in it.

In Lisbon, there are people who do exactly this. Not always certified accountants, but perfectly bilingual experts in the Portuguese tax system — often expats themselves, who help individuals with their annual returns. No jargon, no language barrier, accessible fees. They circulate mostly by word of mouth in expat groups, quietly passed from hand to hand.

You won’t necessarily find them in a directory. But an English-speaking accountant listed in our directory can often point you in the right direction, or offer this service directly through a junior colleague. Always worth asking.