How it works
From first login to "I don't think about admin anymore"
Descodify replaces the spreadsheets, the phone reminders, and the late-night Googling. Here's what happens when you sign up.
- 1
Set up your business profile
The onboarding wizard asks for your NIF, your activity type, and your tax regime. Five minutes. If you don't know which regime you're on, Descodify explains the options - simplified, normal, or VAT-exempt - and what each one means for you.
Once your profile is set, Descodify configures everything else automatically: which VAT rates apply, which deadlines matter, and what your expense proof target is for the year.
- 2
Invoice your first client
Pick a client, describe the work, enter the amount. Descodify handles the rest: the correct VAT treatment based on your client's country, the right exemption code if applicable, sequential numbering, and the ATCUD validation code. Your invoice is certified and ready to send as a PDF.
Behind the scenes, Descodify registers your invoice series with the Portuguese Tax Authority and communicates each invoice monthly. No Portal das Finanças login required.
- 3
Track an expense
Three ways to get expenses in: enter them manually, upload a receipt, or forward it from your email inbox. That last one is the one I use most - I get an invoice from Figma or AWS, forward it to my Descodify address, and it shows up categorized with the right deductibility.
Every expense is tracked against your 15% proof requirement. A progress bar on your dashboard shows where you stand right now - not at year-end when it's too late to do anything about it.
- 4
See where you stand
Your dashboard shows everything on one screen: revenue year-to-date, monthly breakdown, expense proof progress, Social Security estimate for the current quarter, upcoming filing deadlines, and the €200k regime threshold tracker. Recent invoices and expenses are right there too.
This is the screen I open on Monday mornings. It replaced a spreadsheet, three browser tabs of the AT portal, and the anxiety of not knowing if I was on track.
- 5
Stay on top of deadlines
Portugal has at least 9 recurring tax and Social Security obligations, depending on your regime, activity type, and whether you have EU clients. Descodify filters them to your situation. You get an email reminder 7 days before each one. On your dashboard, you check them off as you go.
The recapitulative statement is a good example. If you invoice businesses in other EU countries, you're required to submit it quarterly. The AT portal doesn't list it as mandatory or tell you when it's due. Missing it means fines. Descodify knows you need it and reminds you.
- 6
Report when it's due
When a filing deadline arrives, the numbers are already calculated. Quarterly VAT summary with rate breakdowns. Recapitulative statement for EU B2B services. Social Security contributions based on your actual income. Everything is pre-computed from your invoices and expenses - you review and submit.
If the tax authority requests your records, or you want to hand everything to an accountant, Descodify generates the SAF-T (PT) file that AT requires. One click.
That's the whole process
Set up once, invoice as you go, and handle your obligations in minutes each month. Start for free.
Invoicing, coming soon
Get early access - free tier includes unlimited invoicing.