Expense tracking
The 15% rule is simple. Tracking it shouldn't be your second job.
Under Portugal's simplified regime, you need to prove at least 15% of your income in real business expenses. Fall short and that gap gets added back to your taxable income. Descodify tracks this for you all year.
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How the 15% rule actually works
The simplified regime assumes 25% of your income is business expenses (for service providers - it's 15% if you sell goods). You don't have to track every cent. But you do need to prove at least 15% of your gross income in actual expenses with invoices tied to your NIF.
If you earn €50,000 and can only prove €5,000 in expenses (10%), the remaining 5% - €2,500 - gets added to your taxable income. That's real money. And most people don't find out until they file their annual return.
Descodify shows your 15% proof status on your dashboard as a progress bar. Updated with every expense you add. Not at tax time - right now.
Three ways to get expenses in
Forward from your email
This is the one I use daily. Get an invoice from Figma, AWS, your coworking space, or a Portuguese supplier - forward it to your Descodify inbox address. It shows up as a tracked expense, categorized and counted toward your 15%.
No logging in, no manual data entry. The email comes in, the expense appears.
Upload a receipt
Got a paper receipt or a PDF on your desktop? Upload it directly. Descodify stores the document alongside the expense record so everything is in one place if you need it later.
Enter manually
Quick form: date, amount, category, description. Descodify sets the default deductibility based on the category - fully deductible, partially deductible, or not deductible. You can override it if your situation is different.
15 categories with smart defaults
Every expense is assigned a category that maps to Portugal's e-fatura system. Each category has a default deductibility level so you don't have to research what counts.
Office supplies
Fully deductible
Software & SaaS
Fully deductible
Professional services
Fully deductible
Travel & transport
Partially deductible
Meals & entertainment
Partially deductible
Vehicle expenses
Partially deductible
Telecom & internet
Partially deductible
Training & education
Fully deductible
Coworking & rent
Fully deductible
Plus 6 more categories covering health, insurance, equipment, and other business costs. Each one maps to the correct e-fatura code.
Your non-EU expenses count too
Most expat freelancers pay for software, tools, and services from outside the EU - Stripe, AWS, Notion, Figma, a US hosting provider. These expenses don't appear in e-fatura and aren't part of your quarterly VAT returns. But they're still deductible business expenses that belong on your annual IRS.
The problem most people don't know they have
Portugal's e-fatura system only tracks purchases made with your NIF at Portuguese (and some EU) merchants. Your Figma subscription billed from the US? Your AWS bill from Ireland? Your domain name from a UK registrar? None of these show up in e-fatura. If you only look at e-fatura, you're undercounting your expenses - and potentially overpaying tax.
Descodify tracks them all
Forward your non-EU invoices to Descodify the same way you forward Portuguese ones. They get categorized, tracked toward your 15% proof, and automatically included when you file your IRS. No separate spreadsheet, no manual entry on the AT portal. Portuguese expenses go through e-fatura. Non-EU expenses go through Descodify. Your IRS filing includes both.
VAT vs IRS - different rules, one tool
Quarterly VAT returns only cover EU transactions. Your annual IRS covers everything - worldwide. Descodify knows the difference. Non-EU expenses are excluded from your VAT calculations but included in your IRS filing and 15% proof tracking. You don't need to think about which is which.
The December reminder that pays for itself
If you're short on the 15% threshold in December, Descodify tells you. Not just that you're short - it shows the gap and explains that a year-end business investment (new equipment, prepaid software, professional development) could close it and lower your tax bill. That's the kind of thing an accountant might mention if you ask the right question at the right time. Descodify shows it to you automatically.
Know your 15% status. Not at tax time. Now.
Set up your profile and start tracking expenses. Forward your first receipt and see it counted toward your proof requirement in seconds.
Invoicing, coming soon
Get early access - free tier includes unlimited invoicing.