The days of a tax-free crypto-Portugal, though, may be numbered. The Socialist Party, which currently has a majority in the legislature, has yet to introduce legislation. Despite this, there is a risk that Portugal will no longer exempt cryptocurrencies from taxation shortly.
Portugal has long been considered a bitcoin tax haven, with revenues from individual cryptocurrency sales being tax-free since 2018. Compared to the current capital gains tax rate of 28% on financial assets, Portugal's effective capital gains rate on cryptocurrency is 0%.
Furthermore, digital trading assets are not considered investment income in the European country. As a result, even though enterprises who accept bitcoin must pay income tax on their earnings, crypto-companies and events flock to Lisbon.
However, that may be coming to an end. According to Fernando Medina, the Portuguese Minister of Finance, cryptocurrencies will be subject to capital gains taxes shortly.
Digital assets may be subject to value-added tax (VAT), stamp fees, or property taxes imposed by Portugal's government. This comes after the country's Deputy Minister of Finance and Tax Affairs, Antonio Mendonça Mendes, remarked during the same session of parliament that taxing cryptocurrency is a "complicated reality" and that capital gains may not be sufficient.