The Tax Authority (Autoridade Tributária e Aduaneira) has warned taxpayers about fraudulent SMS and email messages designed to trick recipients into visiting malicious pages or making improper payments, Correio da Manhã and Observador report. Authorities advise checking communications through official Tax Authority channels rather than following links in unsolicited messages.
Tax authority warns: ignore fraudulent messages
Monday, 23 February 2026AI summary
Context & Explainers
Tax debt is any unpaid tax liability owed to Portugal's tax authority (Autoridade Tributária e Aduaneira), including income tax, VAT and other charges. Under the recent rules mentioned in the story, people with outstanding tax debt can be blocked from receiving state disaster aid, so residents should check their tax status or obtain a debt‑clearance document before applying for public support.
The Portal das Finanças is Portugal's official online tax platform, operated by the Autoridade Tributária e Aduaneira (AT — Tax and Customs Authority). It is where individuals and businesses file tax returns, check tax records, make payments, and manage their fiscal affairs.
Key functions include filing the annual IRS return (Modelo 3), accessing e-invoices (e-fatura), consulting property tax (IMI) records, requesting tax residency certificates, and paying outstanding tax debts. Access requires a NIF (tax identification number) and a password or digital key.
The portal is essential for anyone living or working in Portugal. Residents should be aware that scam messages impersonating the AT are common — always access the portal directly at portaldasfinancas.gov.pt rather than through links in emails or SMS.
