IMT in Portugal (2026): property transfer tax rates and brackets explained
IMT (Imposto Municipal sobre as Transmissões Onerosas de Imóveis) is the tax the buyer pays when a home changes hands in Portugal. It is charged in brackets on the higher of the price and the property's tax value: an own permanent home on the mainland pays nothing up to €106,346, and the rate rises to a single 7.5% on the whole value above €1,150,853.
Key facts
- The buyer pays IMT, on the higher of the price and the tax value (VPT) (CIMT art. 4 and 12).
- Own permanent home, mainland, 2026: 0% up to €106,346, then 2%, 5%, 7% and 8% bands up to €660,982.
- Above €660,982 a single 6% applies to the whole value, and above €1,150,853 a single 7.5%.
- Second homes and investment property pay 1% from the first euro and reach a single 6% from €633,931.
- IMT is assessed before the deed and must be paid within 30 days of the assessment, before signing (CIMT art. 22, 36 and 49).
- Since 25 May 2026 a non-resident buying housing pays a flat 7.5%, with exceptions and a refund route (CIMT art. 17(10)).
How much is IMT on a €300,000 home?
On a €300,000 home bought as the buyer’s own permanent home on the mainland, IMT is €10,542.04. The same home bought as a second home or an investment pays €11,605.50. Stamp duty comes on top in both cases (see stamp duty in Portugal).
| Line | Kind | Amount | Estimate range | Share of price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IMT (property transfer tax), own permanent home | Tax | €10,542.04 | 3.51% | |
| Stamp duty (Imposto do Selo, 0.8%) | Tax | €2,400 | 0.80% | |
| Lawyer (market rate) | Fee, estimate | €3,750 | €3,000 to €6,000 | 1.25% |
| Deed and land registration (Casa Pronta) | Fee, estimate | €375 | €375 to €700 | 0.13% |
| Taxes | €12,942.04 | 4.31% | ||
| Fees, typical | €4,125 | €3,375 to €6,700 | 1.38% | |
| Total on top of the price | €17,067.04 | €16,317.04 to €19,642.04 | 5.69% |
These figures assume a buyer who is tax resident in Portugal and the price is at least the property’s tax value. The sections below explain where they come from.
What are the IMT rates in 2026?
The IMT Code sets three tables for homes (CIMT art. 17(1)):
- (a) own permanent home (habitação própria e permanente): the home the buyer will live in and register as their tax address;
- (b) own permanent home bought by a buyer aged 35 or under who qualifies for the young buyer exemption, covered in the under-35 exemption guide;
- (c) other housing: second homes, homes to let, and any home not used as the buyer’s permanent home.
The brackets were raised for 2026 by the State Budget law (Lei 73-A/2025), and the Tax Authority published them as practical tables in Ofício Circulado 40129/2026.
IMT (property transfer tax), own permanent home
The taxable value (the higher of the price and the official value) times the rate of its band, minus that band's deduction.
| Value | Rate | Minus |
|---|---|---|
| up to €106,346 | 0% | €0 |
| €106,346 to €145,470 | 2% | €2,126.92 |
| €145,470 to €198,347 | 5% | €6,491.02 |
| €198,347 to €330,539 | 7% | €10,457.96 |
| €330,539 to €660,982 | 8% | €13,763.35 |
| €660,982 to €1,150,853 | 6% | €0 |
| over €1,150,853 | 7.5% | €0 |
Applies when it is for your main home; the buyer is tax-resident; except when the buyer is aged 35 or less and the buyer is a first-time buyer.
Kept only if you move in within 6 months and keep it as your own permanent home for 6 years (CIMT art. 11(8)).
IMT (property transfer tax), other housing
The taxable value (the higher of the price and the official value) times the rate of its band, minus that band's deduction.
| Value | Rate | Minus |
|---|---|---|
| up to €106,346 | 1% | €0 |
| €106,346 to €145,470 | 2% | €1,063.46 |
| €145,470 to €198,347 | 5% | €5,427.56 |
| €198,347 to €330,539 | 7% | €9,394.50 |
| €330,539 to €633,931 | 8% | €12,699.89 |
| €633,931 to €1,150,853 | 6% | €0 |
| over €1,150,853 | 7.5% | €0 |
Applies when it is not for your main home; the buyer is tax-resident.
Rustic land (5%) and other urban property such as shops (6.5%) have their own rates (CIMT art. 17(1)(d) and (e)) and are not covered by the calculator.
How is IMT calculated?
Each table gives a marginal rate and a fixed deduction (parcela a abater) for each bracket. The tax is the taxable value times the marginal rate of the bracket it falls in, minus that bracket’s deduction. The Tax Authority’s own leaflet works an example: an own permanent home bought for €110,000 on the mainland pays €110,000 × 2% minus €2,126.92, which is €73.08. The calculator gives €73.08.
The deduction makes the result the same as charging each slice of the price at its own rate. Two brackets work differently: above €660,982 an own home pays a single 6% on the whole value, and above €1,150,853 a single 7.5%.
Is IMT charged on the price or on the tax value?
On whichever is higher: the value in the deed or the property’s tax value, the valor patrimonial tributário or VPT, shown on its land register record (caderneta predial) (CIMT art. 12(1)). A home bought for €200,000 with a tax value of €250,000 is taxed as if it cost €250,000:
| Line | Kind | Amount | Estimate range | Share of price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IMT (property transfer tax), own permanent home | Tax | €7,042.04 | 3.52% | |
| Stamp duty (Imposto do Selo, 0.8%) | Tax | €2,000 | 1.00% | |
| Lawyer (market rate) | Fee, estimate | €2,500 | €2,000 to €4,000 | 1.25% |
| Deed and land registration (Casa Pronta) | Fee, estimate | €375 | €375 to €700 | 0.19% |
| Taxes | €9,042.04 | 4.52% | ||
| Fees, typical | €2,875 | €2,375 to €4,700 | 1.44% | |
| Total on top of the price | €11,917.04 | €11,417.04 to €13,742.04 | 5.96% |
How much IMT do you pay at different prices?
| Price | Taxes | Fees, typical | Total on top | Estimate range | Share of price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| €100,000 | €800 | €1,875 | €2,675 | €2,175 to €4,000 | 2.67% |
| €150,000 | €2,208.98 | €2,250 | €4,458.98 | €4,083.98 to €5,908.98 | 2.97% |
| €200,000 | €5,142.04 | €2,875 | €8,017.04 | €7,517.04 to €9,842.04 | 4.01% |
| €300,000 | €12,942.04 | €4,125 | €17,067.04 | €16,317.04 to €19,642.04 | 5.69% |
| €500,000 | €30,236.65 | €6,625 | €36,861.65 | €35,611.65 to €40,936.65 | 7.37% |
| €700,000 | €47,600 | €9,125 | €56,725 | €54,975 to €62,300 | 8.10% |
| €1,200,000 | €99,600 | €15,375 | €114,975 | €111,975 to €124,300 | 9.58% |
| Price | Taxes | Fees, typical | Total on top | Estimate range | Share of price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| €100,000 | €1,800 | €1,875 | €3,675 | €3,175 to €5,000 | 3.67% |
| €150,000 | €3,272.44 | €2,250 | €5,522.44 | €5,147.44 to €6,972.44 | 3.68% |
| €200,000 | €6,205.50 | €2,875 | €9,080.50 | €8,580.50 to €10,905.50 | 4.54% |
| €300,000 | €14,005.50 | €4,125 | €18,130.50 | €17,380.50 to €20,705.50 | 6.04% |
| €500,000 | €31,300.11 | €6,625 | €37,925.11 | €36,675.11 to €42,000.11 | 7.59% |
| €700,000 | €47,600 | €9,125 | €56,725 | €54,975 to €62,300 | 8.10% |
| €1,200,000 | €99,600 | €15,375 | €114,975 | €111,975 to €124,300 | 9.58% |
A second home pays more at every price up to the single-rate bands, because its table starts at 1% instead of 0% and its 8% band ends sooner, at €633,931.
Is IMT different in Madeira and the Azores?
The structure is the same, but every bracket limit is 25% higher. The Tax Authority builds separate tables for the two autonomous regions under Lei 21/90 (Ofício Circulado 40129/2026). An own permanent home pays nothing up to €132,933 in the islands, against €106,346 on the mainland. See Madeira and the Azores vs mainland Portugal.
| Place | Buyer | Taxes | Fees, typical | Total on top | Share of price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portugal (mainland) | Main home, tax-resident, price €250,000 | €9,042.04 | €3,500 | €12,542.04€11,917.04 to €14,742.04 | 5.02% |
| Portugal, Madeira | Main home, tax-resident, price €250,000 | €6,427.52 | €3,500 | €9,927.52€9,302.52 to €12,127.52 | 3.97% |
When and how is IMT paid?
The order is set by the IMT Code:
- The buyer files the Modelo 1 IMT declaration on the Portal das Finanças or at a tax office (CIMT art. 19(1)). It must be filed even when the purchase is exempt (art. 19(3)). It generates two payment documents, one for IMT and one for stamp duty.
- IMT is assessed before the deed (CIMT art. 22(1)) and must be paid on the day of the assessment or within the next 30 days, or the assessment lapses (CIMT art. 36(1), as amended by Decree-Law 97/2026 from 25 May 2026; before that, the deadline was the same or next working day).
- The notary, registry or lawyer cannot sign the deed without the declaration and proof of payment (CIMT art. 49(1)).
A promissory contract (contrato-promessa, CPCV) does not normally trigger IMT. It does if the buyer is handed the property or starts using it before the deed, unless the home is for the buyer’s own permanent residence (CIMT art. 2(2)(a)).
Can the own-home rate be lost after buying?
Yes. The reduced own-home rates and the exemptions are lost, and the difference becomes due, if the buyer does not make the home their permanent residence within 6 months of buying, or gives it another use (for example, letting it) within 6 years (CIMT art. 11(8)). Selling the home, a change in the household (marriage, divorce, a new dependant) and a job move more than 100 km away are not treated as a change of use, as long as the property stays a home.
Do non-residents pay a different IMT rate?
Since 25 May 2026, a buyer who is not tax resident in Portugal pays a flat 7.5% on housing, with no exemption or reduction, unless an exception applies (CIMT art. 17(10)). On a €300,000 second home that is €22,500. Some buyers can claim back the difference later. The non-resident buyers guide covers who pays it and the refund.
What this guide does not cover
- Rustic land, shops, offices and other non-residential property.
- Buying shares in a company that owns Portuguese property, which can also be taxed (CIMT art. 2(2)(d)).
- Inheritances and gifts, which pay stamp duty instead of IMT.
- Annual property taxes (IMI and AIMI), which are separate from the purchase.
Questions people ask
Who pays IMT in Portugal, the buyer or the seller?
The buyer. Article 4 of the IMT Code says the tax is due from the person acquiring the property. Stamp duty of 0.8% on the purchase is also paid by the buyer.
Is IMT charged on the price or on the VPT?
On whichever is higher: the price in the deed or the property's tax value (valor patrimonial tributário, VPT) (CIMT art. 12(1)). Stamp duty uses the same base.
How is IMT calculated?
The Tax Authority publishes practical tables: multiply the taxable value by the marginal rate of its bracket and subtract the fixed deduction (parcela a abater) for that bracket. Above €660,982 for an own home, a single rate applies to the whole value instead.
When do I have to pay IMT?
Before the deed. The buyer files the Modelo 1 IMT declaration, which generates the payment documents, and pays within 30 days of the assessment (CIMT art. 36(1), as amended on 25 May 2026). The notary or registry needs proof of payment to sign the deed.
Is there IMT on a home under €106,346?
Not for an own permanent home on the mainland: the first bracket is 0% (CIMT art. 9(1) and 17(1)(a)). A second home pays 1% from the first euro. In Madeira and the Azores the 0% bracket goes up to €132,933.
Sources
- Código do IMT, article 17 (rates), consolidated textPortal das Finanças (Autoridade Tributária e Aduaneira)
- Código do IMT, full consolidated text (articles 2, 4, 12, 19, 22, 49)Portal das Finanças (Autoridade Tributária e Aduaneira)
- Código do IMT, article 36 (payment deadlines)Portal das Finanças (Autoridade Tributária e Aduaneira)
- Código do IMT, article 11 (when exemptions and reduced rates are lost)Portal das Finanças (Autoridade Tributária e Aduaneira)
- Ofício Circulado 40129/2026: IMT practical tables from 1 January 2026Autoridade Tributária e Aduaneira
- Os meus direitos e deveres na aquisição de um prédio (leaflet, January 2026)Autoridade Tributária e Aduaneira
Behind the figures
Every amount on this page is worked out by the engine from rule files that cite these pages.