Buying Real Estate in Portugal: Why the Asset vs. Share Deal Question Comes Before the Property
Francisca Abrantes | Tax Consultant
Most real estate investors focus on the obvious questions: location, price, yield, and financing.
From a tax perspective, however, the most decisive choice is often made before the acquisition takes place, and many investors only realise this when they try to exit.
That choice is simple in appearance, but complex in consequence:
Should the property be acquired directly, or through a company?
And, more importantly:
Are you buying an asset, or are you building a structure that allows you to sell shares later on?
The Hidden Question Behind Every Acquisition
In Portugal, real estate divestment typically follows one of two paths:
- An Asset Deal, where the property itself is sold; or
- A Share Deal, where the shares of the company owning the property are transferred.
While this distinction is often treated as a negotiation point at exit, in reality it is a structural decision taken at acquisition.
If the property is acquired personally, the exit is locked into an asset deal.
If it is acquired through a company, the share deal becomes a potential, but not automatic, option.
This difference has profound tax consequences for both buyer and seller.
Asset Deal: Simple, Transparent and Often Tax Costly
In an asset deal, the transaction is straightforward: the property is sold directly.
From a buyer’s perspective, this is usually attractive. The buyer acquires the property at market value, benefits from a “clean break” with no historic liabilities, and may depreciate the asset for corporate tax purposes going forward.
From the seller’s perspective, however, the tax cost can be significant.
From the seller’s perspective, an asset deal often triggers immediate capital gains taxation, subject to the applicable personal or corporate tax rules.
While Portuguese tax law provides certain relief mechanisms, including reinvestment deferrals and specific exemptions, these are conditional, fact-dependent and not always available in an investment context. In practice, this frequently results in a higher and less flexible tax burden at exit when compared to a properly structured share deal.
In many cases, this leads to substantial tax leakage at exit.
Share Deal: Tax Efficient But Not Without Trade-Offs
A share deal changes the object of the transaction. The buyer acquires the company that owns the property, not the property itself.
For the seller, this can be extremely attractive. Under certain conditions, Portuguese tax law allows capital gains on the sale of shares to be exempt at corporate level.
However, what the seller gains, the buyer often prices in.
When acquiring shares, the buyer inherits the company’s historical accounting position. If the property was acquired years earlier at a lower value, the buyer also inherits a latent capital gain, which may crystallise upon a future sale.
As a result, share deals often involve:
- Detailed tax modelling,
- Price adjustments,
- And careful allocation of historic tax risk.
The trade-off is complexity. Share deals require careful due diligence, robust corporate governance and disciplined structuring from day one.
But for investors with medium- to long-term horizons, that complexity is often precisely where value is created.
The Real Issue: Structuring for Exit Before You Enter
The core question is not whether asset deals or share deals are “better” in the abstract.
The real issue is this:
How do you intend to exit and how much tax optionality do you want when you do?
Too often, investors discover at divestment stage that:
- The structure chosen at acquisition locked them into an inefficient tax outcome;
- Opportunities for exemption or deferral are no longer available;
- Restructuring is either impossible or prohibitively expensive.
By then, it is too late.
Why This Analysis Must Happen Upfront
A well-designed acquisition structure is about preserving strategic flexibility tomorrow.
Choosing between an asset deal and a share deal requires:
- an understanding of the investor’s profile (individual vs corporate, resident vs non-resident);
- clarity on holding period and exit strategy;
- alignment between corporate, tax and transactional considerations.
This is a strategic decision with long-term consequences.
Final Thought
There is no universally “best” structure.
An asset deal may be the right answer for one investor. A share deal may be essential for another.
What matters is understanding, before you buy, how today’s structure affects tomorrow’s exit. This is a question of strategy.
If you are considering acquiring or divesting real estate in Portugal and wish to understand the associated tax implications, feel free to contact our team for tailored advice
