How to prove your income as a freelancer
With no payslip, proving what you earn looks hard. It isn't - a set of documents does it. And a common mistake that shuts doors: under-declaring.
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News, tips and guides for independent workers
Everything you need to know about invoicing, VAT and Social Security in Portugal.
No-debt certificate (Tax and Social Security)
A tender, a loan or a landlord asks you to prove you have no debts to the State. It's two documents, free and instant. Where to click for each.
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The client won't pay: from overdue invoice to injunction
A client who won't pay is a freelancer's nightmare. The steps from reminder to injunction (an enforcement order) - and how to recover the VAT you advanced.
Monthly retainer: how to invoice fixed clients
A client who pays the same every month changes your tax relationship. What a retainer (avença) is, how to invoice it, and the economic-dependence catch.
Advance payments and deposits: how to invoice them
Ask for a deposit before starting? Great for cash flow - but the VAT becomes due the moment you're paid. How to invoice the advance and settle up at the end.
Invoicing in dollars or pounds: rate, VAT and receipt
A foreign client wants to pay in dollars? You can invoice in a foreign currency - but the value counts in euros, and VAT always goes in euros.
ATCUD and QR code: the mandatory codes on your invoices
That odd code and the QR square on the invoice aren't decoration - they're the ATCUD and QR code, required by law. What they are, since when, and what to do.
Certified invoicing software: when it's mandatory
Do you have to buy an invoicing program? Not always - the Portal das Finanças is the AT's free application. When certified software is mandatory.
How much to charge per hour: the formula with taxes in
Charging €20/hour and think it's good? After taxes, costs and unbilled hours, you keep far less. The formula to set the right price - everything included.