You just opened your activity and are already picturing mountains of paperwork, impossible deadlines, and fines? Breathe.
In the first 90 days you will spend around 2 hours on administration. The other 2,158 hours are for working and living your life.
Here is the real calendar.
Week 1 — The start (30 minutes)
Open activity with the tax authority — 20 minutes Finance Portal → Serviços → Atividade → Início de Atividade. Choose Trabalhador Independente, the CAE that describes your work, simplified regime, today’s date. Submit and save the confirmation PDF.
Set up invoicing software — 10 minutes You need AT-certified software to issue invoices legally. Register, enter your NIF and CAE, and you are ready to invoice.
Register on Segurança Social Direta — 10 minutes (can do on day 1) Go to segurancasocial.pt, create an account and register as an independent worker. This is a separate step from the tax authority — many people forget it.
Weeks 2 to 4 — Normal pace
You work. You issue invoices as you deliver services. Each invoice takes two minutes.
No declarations to file yet. No payments to make. You live your life.
Note on VAT: if you invoice less than €15,000/year, you are exempt under Art. 53 CIVA. On invoices you select VAT 0% with that reason and there is nothing more to do with VAT.
Month 2 — Nothing new (or almost)
If you opened your activity in the first days of a quarter, month 2 passes without any declaration.
If you opened in January, for example, the first relevant Social Security deadline is only in July — the second quarter declaration (April–June) — when the 12-month exemption will have run out if you opened much earlier.
For most people in the first month: zero extra obligations.
Month 3 — The first check-in
At the end of the third month it is worth checking two things:
1. Quarterly VAT If you are exempt (less than €15,000/year), you have no return to file. If you exceeded that threshold, you must file the periodic VAT return by the 20th of the second month after the quarter ends.
| Quarter | Period | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Q1 | Jan–Mar | 20 May |
| Q2 | Apr–Jun | 20 Aug |
| Q3 | Jul–Sep | 20 Nov |
| Q4 | Oct–Dec | 20 Feb |
2. Social Security In the first year there is full exemption from contributions. You do not pay or declare anything during the first 12 months of activity. Obligations begin from month 13.
The 90-day summary
| Task | When | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Open activity | Day 1 | 20 min |
| Set up software | Day 1 | 10 min |
| Register on SS Direta | Day 1 | 10 min |
| Issue each invoice | As you work | 2 min |
| Check VAT deadline | End of each quarter | 5 min |
Total administration in 90 days: ~1 hour (excluding invoices, which are normal work).
What you do NOT need to do in the first 90 days
- Hire an accountant (not required on the simplified regime)
- Pay Social Security (exemption in the first year)
- File an IRS declaration (annual, between April and June of the following year)
- Do anything on paper
✅ In summary
-
Day 1: three tasks — open activity with the tax authority, set up certified invoicing software, register on Segurança Social Direta. Takes under an hour in total.
-
In the first 12 months there is a Social Security exemption — you do not pay or declare contributions during that period.
-
With FIZ the invoicing software is ready in minutes and quarterly declarations are automatic — the obligations calendar requires no constant attention on your part.
