Help for millions of refugees can come from Portugal through a tax designation in the annual personal income tax (IRS) campaign. The UNHCR Portugal office is running the 'We only need your X' campaign, highlighting that any donation makes a real impact. National Director Soraya Ventura explains that this simple, cost-free gesture provides protection and hope to families who have lost everything. With global conflicts rising and UNHCR facing a $1.4 billion budget cut in 2025, the agency emphasizes that this support is critical for the 123 million forcibly displaced people worldwide. Taxpayers can allocate 1% of their tax to the UNHCR by selecting 'Portugal com ACNUR - Fundação' when filing their returns by June 30.
‘Portugal with UNHCR’ campaign appeals for IRS donations to help refugees
Sunday, 19 April 2026RSS
Context & Explainers
The IRS withholding tables (tabelas de retenção na fonte) are government-published schedules that determine how much personal income tax (Imposto sobre o Rendimento das Pessoas Singulares — IRS) employers must deduct from each paycheck. They take into account gross pay, marital status, number of dependents, and disability status.
The tables are updated annually (and sometimes mid-year when budgets change), directly affecting monthly take-home pay. When tables are revised downward, workers see more in their pay packet; when raised, less. Any difference between amounts withheld and the actual tax owed is settled when the annual IRS return (Modelo 3) is filed, typically between April and June.
Employees and pensioners should check the current tables — published by the Autoridade Tributária e Aduaneira (AT) — whenever they change, as the impact on net income can be significant.
Housing fiscal measures are government tax changes or incentives aimed at the property market — examples include changes to property tax (IMI Imposto Municipal sobre Imóveis), stamp or transfer taxes (IMT Imposto Municipal sobre Transmissões Onerosas de Imóveis) and income‑tax (IRS Imposto sobre o Rendimento das Pessoas Singulares) deductions for renovations or rental incentives. The estimated €200–300 million budgetary cost shows the measures have a meaningful impact on public finances and signals whether the government is prioritising tax relief for homeowners, landlords or construction, which can affect property prices and rental markets that matter to expats.
