October 26, 2026 · Daniel da Rocha Cardoso
Companies that purchase properties for resale may benefit from an IMT exemption. However, a newly incorporated company must pay the tax upon acquisition and only recover it after the property is sold. A company with a two-year resale track record can benefit from the exemption immediately at the deed signing, without advancing any funds to the tax authorities.
For a €300,000 property, this can mean avoiding the upfront payment of approximately €19,500 for several months. For businesses carrying out multiple transactions each year, the impact on cash flow can be significant.
How the Exemption Works
Article 7 of the Portuguese IMT Code grants an exemption for properties acquired for resale. The following conditions must be met:
- The company must be registered for property trading activities (CAE 68110) before acquiring the property.
- The deed must expressly state that the property is being acquired for resale.
- The property must be resold within one year. Since the Mais Habitação housing package, applicable to acquisitions made on or after October 7, 2023, the previous three-year deadline was reduced to one year.
- The resale cannot be made to another buyer who is also acquiring the property for resale.
The one-year deadline is strict. In 2026, the Portuguese Tax Authority confirmed that construction works, licensing procedures, or administrative delays do not suspend or extend that period.
If the property is not resold within the legal deadline, or if it is assigned a substantially different purpose, the exemption is forfeited and IMT becomes payable from the original acquisition date, together with interest. However, the creation of condominium ownership and the sale of the building through its individual units does not automatically result in the loss of the exemption.
Portuguese case law accepts such operations as long as they do not constitute a substantial transformation of the acquired property. The assessment may differ in situations involving land subdivision, demolition, new construction, or material alterations that result in a property substantially different from the one originally acquired. Each case should be assessed individually.
The exemption applies only to IMT. Stamp Duty at a rate of 0.8% of the purchase price remains payable upon acquisition.
Immediate Exemption vs. Refund: The Importance of a Track Record
The law distinguishes between two scenarios. The exemption is immediate when the company can prove that it carries out resale activities on a regular basis. To do so, it must present a certificate issued by the Portuguese Tax Authority showing that it has resold properties acquired for that purpose in each of the previous two years.
Without this certificate, the company must pay IMT at acquisition and subsequently apply for a tax refund after completing the resale.
Ultimately, the tax result is the same: zero IMT, provided the resale occurs within the legal deadline. The difference lies in the amount of capital tied up while waiting for the refund.
| Acquisition of a €300,000 Property | New Company | Company with a 2-Year Track Record |
|---|---|---|
| IMT Paid at Acquisition | €19,500 | €0 |
| Stamp Duty (0.8%) | €2,400 | €2,400 |
| Total Due at Acquisition | €21,900 | €2,400 |
| IMT Recovery | Application to the Tax Office after resale | Not applicable |
| Capital Tied Up Until Refund | €19,500 | €0 |
Example based on a non-residential urban property subject to the standard 6.5% rate. For residential properties that are not intended as the purchaser’s primary residence, IMT rates vary according to the property value and may reach 7.5% for properties valued above approximately €1.1 million.
With five such transactions per year, a newly incorporated company could have nearly €100,000 locked up in recoverable taxes. That capital could otherwise be used to fund the next acquisition or renovation project.
Our Offer: Ready-Made Companies with Immediate IMT Exemption Eligibility
FA Accounting & Management currently has available for sale a number of limited liability companies with property trading activities and a documented resale history in previous years. Each company qualifies to request the habitual resale certificate, allowing the next property acquisition to benefit from IMT exemption immediately at completion.
Each company is delivered with:
- Active CAE 68110 registration and documented property resales during the previous two years;
- Accounting records and tax obligations fully up to date, with no outstanding liabilities to the Tax Authority or Social Security;
- No properties held in the company, ensuring that the acquisition of the company shares is not subject to IMT;
- [Commercial terms: price, transfer timeline, transaction support, etc.].
Before proceeding, three key considerations should be noted:
- Continuity: The certificate always considers the previous two years. To maintain eligibility for immediate exemption in the future, the company must continue carrying out resale transactions on a regular basis.
- Deadline: Each property must be sold within one year. Renovation and sales plans should therefore be structured to fit within that timeframe.
- Transparency: We provide the company’s full history and support the share transfer process, registrations, and ongoing accounting after acquisition.
Contact Us
If you buy properties for resale, or intend to start doing so, acquiring a company with an established track record allows you to benefit from immediate IMT exemption without waiting two years.
Contact us to learn more about the companies currently available and the applicable terms:
Daniel Cardoso
FA Accounting & Management, Lda
drcardoso@faccounting.ptdrcardoso@faccounting.pt
tel:+351918443168+351 918 443 168
Sources
- https://informador.pt/legislacao/lexit/codigos/direito-fiscal/codigo-do-imt/capitulo-ii-isencoes-5/artigo-7-o-isencao-pela-aquisicao-de-predios-para-revenda/Portuguese IMT Code, Article 7 – Exemption for Property Acquired for Resale
- https://www.doutorfinancas.pt/imobiliario/compra-para-revenda-como-funciona-a-isencao-de-imt/How IMT Exemption Works for Property Resale
- https://eco.sapo.pt/2026/04/13/fisco-trava-isencao-de-imt-na-revenda-de-casas/Portuguese Tax Authority Clarifies IMT Resale Rules
- https://www.idealista.pt/news/imobiliario/habitacao/2026/04/14/74942-revenda-de-imoveis-com-isencao-de-imt-e-de-um-ano-mesmo-com-obrasOne-Year Deadline Applies Even in Renovation Scenarios