callumalden

Hello all, I am most excited to add my first post here on BritishExpats.com. I have read through literally hundreds of helpful posts from YOU - the wonderful expat community - over the last 3 months. Thank you, very helpful stuff! Bravo.

My name is Callum, hello. My partner (a Cloggie from Dutch-land) and I (I'm Scotch-ish) are packing up our small van and making tracks for the continent in August. We're leaving Edinburgh behind and after a short stop over in the Netherlands we'll head over the Pyrenees to start a new life in Portugal. Hooray!

We're in our 30's and both self-employed artists... well, I'm a 'printer' but that involves ink, so, erm... look, I have an artistic temperament... artist might be pushing it. But we both run cottage industries aka. we're self-employed. Sounds boring now.

Anyway- we both run shops via the internet AND deal with existing clients / collectors mainly in the USA so we're lucky, we only need a post office, decent internet connection
and materials to survive. Perhaps one day I'll set up a bricks and mortar shop in PT, but not today.

My query: need we pay any tax on our equipment upon immigrating to Portugal? For example, I just purchased a £2000 printer (would have cost me €3500 + delivery in PT) and I wonder, eek. What if there's some tax I'm expected to pay on that if/when we move.

Look - I know the question is a bit daft... I know that no one will be at the border rummaging through our van. But we do have a lot of expensive looking technical gear which was purchased in the last 6 months and I wonder on some tax declaration in future those expenses will be out there in the open. What then?

Anyway. Silly question, but that was something I couldn't find any relevant info online. So here I am.

Thank you for making it through this ridiculously long-winded introductory post, wish us luck.

- Callum e Cloggie

peterfc

Hi

I have driven over with car, Van and trailer and another van many times and i have never been stopped at the border. Anyway i wouldn't worry

Where about are you looking to stay?

Peter

callumalden

Good evening Peter. Thanks for your reassurance. We're actually very free-and-easy with location. Looking for something between Lisbon and Porto. A train ride to either would be handy. Just looking for a farmhouse conversion or rustic rural house with charm at the moment, to rent initially.

Where are you located Peter?

- Callum

peterfc

Hi Callum

I am about 40k inland from Coimbra nearest town Gois famous for the Bike festival.
In my village there are only 3 people one of whom is Portuguese.

Good luck with your plans

Peter

EMR

To be safe, carry a detailed list with invoices if you have them of your UK assets just in case you are stopped.
Yes you may be stopped and checked, not necessarily at the border.
Note Personal possessions, no reference to any commercial activities.

macliam

Don't forget that if you initend to work self-employed, you need to declare that in advance in Portugal. Be prepared to spend a bit getting good advice, because the allowances/tax/declarations requirements can be a bit of a nightmare - and worse in Portuguese!

I'm not sure about your printer - is it strictly commercial or could it pass as personal (hobby, etc.)?? If you don't declare it, you won't be able to claim anything for it against tax - but I'm guessing you don't much care about that. Ink.... if it's specialist, remember this isn't the UK .... if you need a regular source, best to find out where they are now. This could impact where you choose to live - as could internet speed, etc.

Good luck.

RichardHenshall

Surely that's irrelevant if the business activity is set up under the simplified regime as the taxable profit will just be the appropriate percentage of sales/turnover?

liveaboard

You can bring whatever you want with no import duties between EU countries.

Ok, I know everyone's going to start going on about tax on cars, but that's not under discussion here.

Saz1

It sounds like you and Cloggie will do well, wherever you may end up. . . All the very best and good luck for your new adventure in Portugal.

callumalden

Thank you. And... Crikey, yes- I better add this to the "things to work out" calendar. Something we both *shameful look* haven't given much thought to. Eek.

Great idea. Will do this, as I'm a 'sole trader' under HMRC's terminology, all of the invoices are in my name anyway. Super. Thanks.

Yes, well - a vehicle is the next thing. We are driving from the UK. Been trying to buy a PT vehicle in the UK for 6 months. Nothing suitible.<SNIP>! Thank you.

Thank you Saz1 that's very kind. We don't know where we'll end up, its a fun time... Portuguese rental websites will certainly be noticing a sharp spike in activity due to our *CLICKS* hah.

Diddion

Hi. We'll also be moving to Portugal next year. Do you know how the non-habitual residence regime will affect you? I assume that your internet income will be taxable as Portuguese-sourced. For those who obtain nhr status (look it up if you're not familiar with it) for the first 10 years of residency your non-Portuguese income will be tax-free. However, I don't know whether foreign-soirced earned income is included within that special tax regime - if it is not included, you can disregard this post as pure rubbish!.

I had a thought about your income. If you set up a UK company of just the two of you, you would then become employees of that company, so might your income be foreign-sourced, from the Portuguese perspective? If anyone reading this has accurate knowlege of whether this idea is valid, please post! But check the postion for yourselves, and if it looks a possible way forward, do obtain definitive advice.