Payroll in Portugal

Hiring your first employee in Portugal means registering the company as an employer with Social Security, issuing payslips, withholding income tax at source and paying contributions on time. Each month someone must calculate pay, handle holiday and sick leave, and send the declarations. Foreign founders often outsource this because the forms and portals are in Portuguese and the rules differ from those in their home country.

When you read a profile, check whether payroll is listed next to accounting, so one team sees both the salary costs and the books. Ask how new hires are registered, how payslips reach employees, who files the monthly declarations and what happens at year end. If you plan to employ people on Madeira or the Algarve, ask whether the firm has clients there.

Accountanty lists 89 firms in Portugal that offer payroll: 79 accounting firms, 9 corporate services providers and 1 law firm. There are 62 small firms, 20 medium and 7 large networks. Portuguese (75) and English (67) are the main languages, and the industries named most are real estate, startups, construction and healthcare. Read the Portugal guide for the wider picture or see accounting if you need both services from one firm.

Firms offering payroll in Portugal

Auxadi

Accounting firm · International network

Lisbon

  • Company formation
  • Accounting and bookkeeping
  • Tax compliance
  • +5 more

Languages: English · Spanish

View profile of Auxadi

Bismon

Accounting firm · Boutique firm

Ramada

  • Company formation
  • Accounting and bookkeeping
  • Tax compliance
  • +2 more

Languages: English · Portuguese

View profile of Bismon

CODESK

Accounting firm · Boutique firm

Porto

  • Company formation
  • Accounting and bookkeeping
  • Tax compliance
  • +2 more

Languages: Portuguese

View profile of CODESK

UR Global

Corporate services provider · International network

Lisbon

  • Company formation
  • Accounting and bookkeeping
  • Tax compliance
  • +5 more

Languages: Spanish · English · Portuguese · French …

View profile of UR Global

65 more firms offering payroll in Portugal

Frequently asked questions

What do I need before I can pay an employee in Portugal?

The company must exist and be registered with the tax authority and Social Security as an employer, and the employee needs the usual personal identifiers. A payroll provider usually handles the registrations once you give it the contract details.

Can a payroll firm also draft employment contracts?

Some can, but contract drafting is often a legal service. Check the profile and ask whether the firm prepares contracts itself or works with a lawyer, and who is liable if a clause is challenged.

How often is payroll processed?

Usually monthly, with payslips issued for each pay period and declarations sent to the tax and Social Security authorities. Ask the firm for its monthly cut-off date, since late changes to hours or pay are the most common cause of corrections.

Other services in Portugal

Accountants by city in Portugal

Setting up a company in Portugal: the guide and every firm

General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules, rates and fees change: check them with the official sources linked on this page or with a qualified adviser before you act.