Latest news and stories about salary bonus in Portugal for expats and residents.
The Tax and Customs Authority (Autoridade Tributária e Aduaneira or AT) has started distributing the 2026 salary bonus to young workers. This initial phase covers approximately 41,000 beneficiaries who registered in 2024 and continue to meet the eligibility requirements based on their 2025 income.
A study by Knight Frank reveals that house prices in Portugal rose by 16.5% in the first quarter of 2026 compared to the previous year. This growth is the fourth-highest among 55 markets analyzed, highlighting the ongoing pressure on the national housing market.
The Ombudsman (Provedor de Justiça) has received approximately 100 complaints regarding difficulties in accessing the 2024 salary bonus. Many of these complaints also highlight the failure to open applications for the 2025 incentive scheme, prompting concerns over the administration of these government support programs.
The Ombudsman (Provedor de Justiça) is an independent public institution that investigates complaints from citizens about the actions or omissions of public bodies. It can review cases, issue non-binding recommendations and publish reports, so tenants or landlords who face delays or irregularities with state housing supports can take their complaints there.
Parliament has approved a Socialist Party (Partido Socialista or PS) bill that mandates the state to pay a salary bonus refunding tuition fees to recent graduates. The legislation also ensures this incentive can be accumulated with the Youth IRS (IRS Jovem) tax regime. The measure passed with support from Chega, despite opposition from the Social Democratic Party (Partido Social Democrata or PSD), which warned of potential fiscal deficits.
Health cards are private membership or discount schemes sold by companies that offer access to consultations, tests or reduced fees at private clinics; they are not the public health service. The Socialist Party (Partido Socialista or PS) has proposed regulation to increase transparency and protect consumers from misleading marketing or unexpected charges.
IRS Jovem is a tax benefit that provides a partial exemption on employment income for young workers aged 18 to 26 during their first five years of work. It helps young professionals retain more of their earnings by reducing their income tax (Imposto sobre o Rendimento de Pessoas Singulares) liability. As of 2024, these taxpayers are eligible for the automatic tax return system, simplifying the annual filing process.
The Socialist Party (PS) is pushing to legally enshrine the Youth IRS incentive, ensuring salary bonuses remain cumulative and proposing an extended deadline of September 30th for late applications.
The Minister of Finance left it unclear today when the Government will open applications for the youth salary bonus, the form for which has not yet been made available for 2025 and 2026, despite the deadline having passed. During a hearing regarding the assessment of the 2027 State Budget proposal, the member of parliament ...
Young people eligible to apply in 2025 and 2026 have not yet been able to submit their applications because the State has not opened the registration process.
The salary bonus for qualification appreciation corresponding to the year 2026 will begin to be paid this Monday by the Tax and Customs Authority (AT), the Ministry of Finance told the Lusa agency. According to the Ministry source, 'in this first phase, payments will be made to approximately 41,000 beneficiaries who registered in 2024...'
In a first phase, payments will be made to approximately 41,000 beneficiaries who registered in 2024.
The salary bonus for the appreciation of qualifications was created in 2023 by the last government of António Costa, and so far there has only been one application period.
The Agency for the Technological Reform of the State says it is not responsible for opening applications for the salary bonus intended to reimburse tuition fees for young workers. Applications have not been open since 2024.
The Agency for State Technological Reform (ARTE), which provides the registration platform for the salary bonus, says it is not its responsibility to open applications for the incentive, for which the 2025 and 2026 forms remain unavailable.
The Agency for State Technological Reform (ARTE), which manages the platform for salary bonus applications, states it is not responsible for opening the incentive process. The 2025 and 2026 forms remain unavailable. Questioned by Lusa, an official source clarified that the opening order is not within ARTE's remit. The salary bonus, created by the former António Costa government to reimburse tuition fees for young workers up to 35, has only had one application period in 2024. While the PS party recently pushed a bill through parliament to force the state to pay the 2025 and 2026 bonuses, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of State Reform have yet to clarify why the application process has not been opened.
For the Socialist bench, “it is unacceptable that support legally provided for remains formally in force while simultaneously ceasing to be executed through mere administrative means.”
The PS has presented a bill to force the State to pay the salary bonus that refunds tuition fees to recent graduates and to ensure that the incentive can be combined with the Youth IRS regime. This is one of the legislative initiatives that the PS parliamentary group is bringing to discussion and a vote in the plenary session.
