Donate to your chosen cause at no cost to you
- Created on Wednesday, 08 February 2012 11:15
Algarve Daily News readers may well have heard that the 'crisis' is making life difficult for charities, not only because the donations they receive are falling, but also because more calls are being made on their slender resources. There is one thing that readers may do to help at no cost to themselves.
The Portuguese Law of Religious Liberty permits taxpayers to direct that 0.5% of their tax assessment be directed to their chosen cause. The state receives only 99.5% of the same tax bill.
The full list of qualifying charities may be found on www.portaldasfinancas.gov.pt, then click on
- 'Serviços Tributários'
- 'Apoio ao Contribuinte' on the left hand side
- 'Listagem das entidades que podem beneficiar da consignação de 0.5% do IRS' near the bottom of the main area of the page
This scrollable page contains the many choices of qualifying charities available throughout Portugal, some portuguese, some serving the foriegn community. Perhaps the Lisbon Chaplaincy, St George's Church, set in the beautiful British Cemetery which has served the foreign community now for several centuries, while St Paul's church at Estoril is in an area more convenient to many foreign residents.
The simple tax return procedure is to complete 'Anexo H, section 9 - Consignação de 0.5% do imposto liquidado'. Place an X in the box 'Instituições Religiosas, art 32º n.º 4' and complete box 901 with the charity identity number (592005542 for the Lisbon chaplaincy).
Of course, the option to indicate a charity as beneficiary is open to any taxpayer in Portugal, so pass on this information to anyone you think may be inclined to favour charity at no cost to themselves.
