COVID-19: Tax measures to support micro enterprises and SMEs were approved

In order to mitigate the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Portuguese Government approved, by Law no. 29/2020 of 31 July, three more fiscal measures to support micro, small and medium-sized enterprises:

• Temporary and optional waiver of the payment on account of IRC;
   
• Anticipated return, during 2020, of special payments on account not deducted until 2019, waiving the 90-day deadline counted as from the end of the sixth fiscal year following the one to which the deduction relates (general refund deadline in case of non-deduction of the special payment on account due to insufficient IRC to be paid). This measure is also applicable to cooperatives;

• Refund within a maximum of 15 days, after the submission of the respective return by the taxpayer, when the withholding tax, the payment on account of IRS/IRC or the VAT assessed is higher than the tax final due.

This Law became effective on August 1, 2020 and will be in force until the end of the year in which these exceptional and temporary measures in response to Covid-19 cease. They still have to be regulated by the Portuguese Government.