Portugal Costs
Budgeting for trade and importing in Portugal
The main scenario is an importer buying stock for resale. Follow goods from order to customer collection, with separate assumptions for product types, suppliers and sales channels.
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Before the first order
Separate company costs, funding contributions and trading purchases. Obtain estimates for samples, product checks, transport, storage, insurance and sales tools. Identify supplier country, goods origin and destination. Buying within the EU and importing from a third country follow different processes. Review EORI identification against the actual customs operations, not simply the business name “import-export”. Also establish which product-specific information is needed before a reliable landed cost can be calculated.
At order and delivery
A wholesaler pays part of the stock price before dispatch and sells to shops that pay later. Schedule deposit, transport, procedures, receipt and supplier settlement. Have product-specific taxes and charges calculated without inventing one common rate. Confirm who arranges transport and bears costs at each contractual stage. Keep goods availability separate from the date they are saleable and the date customer money reaches the company.
During stock turnover
Allow for tied-up cash, returns, defects, discounts and extended storage. Test slower sales and delayed delivery. Do not treat every sales receipt as available cash when suppliers, taxes or refunds still need payment. Food trade adds preservation and losses; vehicle importing requires separate pricing of vehicle documents and regularisation steps. A different product can change the whole working-capital cycle even when the selling channel remains the same.
Adapt the sales format
A shop adds premises and fixtures; a franchise adds documented network commitments. Gather orders, freight quotes, payment terms and realistic sales forecasts. Your next step is a batch budget linked to monthly cash, including reorder dates and an unsold-stock scenario. Compare suppliers using complete landed costs rather than purchase price alone, recording which estimates still need confirmation.
Portugal
Before you incorporate
Registering as self-employed and incorporating a company are different routes. The choice depends on how your business actually operates. A Portuguese company alone does not determine your tax residence or the treatment of every source of income.
Information to gather
- Your country of residence and where you actually work.
- A description of the services or products you sell.
- Whether your customers are businesses or individuals, and their countries.
- Any shareholders, existing business structure and your planned timing.
Sources and references
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