NIPC
Número de Identificação de Pessoa Coletiva · Company Tax Number
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Portugal's 9-digit tax identification number for companies and legal entities, the corporate equivalent of a personal NIF.
A NIPC is what a company gets instead of a personal NIF. Same format (9 digits) but starting with 5. When you incorporate a business in Portugal (a Lda., Unipessoal Lda., SA, or other legal entity), the commercial registry assigns a NIPC that becomes the company's tax identity.
If you're a trabalhador independente (solo entrepreneur), you don't have one. You use your personal NIF for everything, business included. The NIPC only exists when there's a separate legal entity.
When you'll encounter one
Any time you do business with a Portuguese company, their NIPC appears on invoices, contracts, and receipts. It's the number you'd use to verify them on VIES (with the PT prefix) or to look them up in the commercial registry.
When a client asks for your tax number and you're a solo entrepreneur, you give them your NIF. When a company asks, they give you their NIPC. Both work the same way in invoicing, the label changes, but the mechanics don't.
Checking a NIPC
You can verify any Portuguese NIPC through the EU's VIES system. Add the PT prefix and search. Portugal is one of the EU countries that returns the company name and registered address in the result, which makes it useful for confirming you're dealing with a legitimate, registered business.
For more detailed information (directors, share capital, company status) you'd check the Registo Comercial (commercial registry), available online through the Ministry of Justice portal.
You can verify a NIPC right now using our free NIF business check. For companies registered for intra-EU VAT, VIES returns the registered name and address. For personal NIFs, the result reflects VAT-registration status only, and many sole traders below the €15,000 threshold won't appear at all.
Frequently asked questions
How can I tell a NIF from a NIPC?
Both are 9-digit numbers. Personal NIFs start with 1, 2, or 3. NIPCs start with 5. If you're given a tax number that starts with 5, you're dealing with a company or other legal entity, not a solo entrepreneur.
Do solo entrepreneurs (trabalhadores independentes) get a NIPC?
No. Solo entrepreneurs use their personal NIF for all business activity. There's no separate business number. Only when you incorporate a company (like a Lda. or SA) do you get a NIPC.
Can I look up a NIPC to find out about a company?
Yes. You can verify a Portuguese NIPC through the EU's VIES system by adding the PT prefix (e.g., PT501234567). Portugal provides the company name and registered address in the VIES response. You can also check the commercial registry (Registo Comercial) for more detailed information like share capital, directors, and company status.
What other numbers start with different digits?
Numbers starting with 1, 2, or 3 are personal NIFs. Numbers starting with 5 are NIPCs (companies). Numbers starting with 6 are public administration entities. Numbers starting with 9 are provisional or temporary numbers, often assigned to non-residents.
Related terms
Portugal's 9-digit tax identification number, required for every tax-related interaction from opening a bank account to issuing an invoice.
VIESVAT Information Exchange SystemThe EU's free online tool for verifying VAT numbers. Confirms whether a business is VAT-registered and, in Portugal's case, reveals the name and address behind the number.
Trabalhador IndependenteSelf-Employed WorkerThe Portuguese term for an independent worker or sole entrepreneur, the equivalent of a freelancer or sole trader in other countries.