Stamp duty (Imposto do Selo)
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Imposto do Selo is a tax which, on a property purchase, amounts to 0.8% of the acquisition value and is paid by the buyer together with IMT.
Imposto do Selo applies to many acts and contracts. On property purchases, item 1.1 of the General Table applies: acquisition for consideration of ownership, or of partial rights of ownership, over real estate. The rate is 0.8% of the value.
Unlike , the rate is always the same, whatever the type of property or its use. The IMT exemption for a main permanent home does not in itself remove stamp duty.
The value it is charged on follows the IMT Code rules (Stamp Duty Code, article 9(4)).
If the purchase is financed with a bank loan, there is also stamp duty on the loan, which is a separate cost. Confirm the amounts with the bank.
Example
Illustrative example: a flat is bought at auction for €150,000. Stamp duty under item 1.1 is €150,000 × 0.8% = €1,200. This is added to IMT and registration costs.
In practice, at an auction
Stamp duty is assessed and paid with IMT. When the two taxes are assessed together, payment is made within the period stated in the notification (IMT Code, article 36(8)).
Like IMT, it must be paid before the is issued. In practice, after winning the auction, the buyer obtains the payment slips for both taxes, at a tax office or on the Portal das Finanças, pays them and hands the receipts to whoever is running the sale.
The cost calculator includes this tax. Guide: The costs of buying at auction.