Sociedade por Quotas is the Portuguese private limited company by quotas, the standard form for Portuguese SMEs and foreign-owned operating companies.
A Sociedade por Quotas (Lda) is a Portuguese private limited company regulated by the Codigo das Sociedades Comerciais. Its capital is divided into quotas (not shares) held by at least two members, and member liability is limited to the company's capital.
Minimum capital is 1 EUR per quota, with a practical minimum of 2 EUR for a multi-member Lda, although founders typically capitalise to a level appropriate to operating cash needs.
The Empresa na Hora regime allows incorporation in a single visit to a Conservatoria do Registo Comercial counter using pre-approved name and articles. Online incorporation through Empresa Online is also available. The company must appoint at least one manager (gerente) and have a Portuguese registered office.
After registration, the company must register for tax with Autoridade Tributaria, register beneficial owners in the RCBE, and open Social Security registrations for employees.
A Lda pays corporate income tax (IRC) at the headline rate of 21 percent, plus municipal surcharge (Derrama Municipal) up to 1.5 percent and state surcharge on profits above 1.5 million EUR. SMEs benefit from a reduced 17 percent rate on the first 50,000 EUR of taxable income. VAT and Social Security follow standard EU and Portuguese rules. Annual accounts are filed via the IES (Informacao Empresarial Simplificada).
You will see the Lda when researching Portuguese vendors, hiring through a Portuguese subsidiary, or relocating to Portugal under D7 visa or NHR-style residency programs. Founders often pair the Lda with personal residency for income-tax planning. Solo founders use the Unipessoal Lda variant. Service businesses, Amazon FBA operators, and remote-work agencies frequently use Lda for its low capital and EU access.
See what a company actually costs in year one, and how the jurisdictions compare on tax, capital and timeline.
