If you are thinking about buying a house to renovate—whether to live in or as an investment—there is a tax benefit that can save you thousands of euros on the very day of the deed: IMT Exemption for Urban Rehabilitation.
What Is This Exemption?
IMT (Imposto Municipal sobre as Transmissões Onerosas de Imóveis) is typically the largest cost you face when buying a home. However, to encourage the recovery of our cities, the State allows you to be exempt from this tax if you buy a property intended for urban rehabilitation.
Why Does This Matter to You?
Immediate Savings: On a €200,000 property, the IMT savings can exceed €5,000. This is money you can apply directly toward the renovation works.
Asset Appreciation: You are buying an asset that, after rehabilitation, will be worth much more, having had an acquisition cost lower than the market average.
Supporting the City: You contribute to the revitalization of historic centers, often gaining access to other incentives (such as 6% VAT on construction works).
Requirements: What Do You Need to Qualify?
Not just any renovation qualifies for the exemption. You must meet these criteria:
Location: The property must be located within an ARU (Urban Rehabilitation Area) defined by the City Council.
The Objective: You must start the rehabilitation works within a maximum of 3 years after the purchase.
Certification: The City Council must certify that the property is in a "degraded" state of conservation and, after the work, that it has moved up two levels of conservation or achieved a superior level of energy efficiency.
How to Obtain the Exemption: Step-by-Step
Step 1: Validate the Location (TeamQASA Phase 1)
Before making an offer, we check with the local municipality to see if the property is in an ARU zone. If it isn’t, this benefit does not apply.
Step 2: Requesting at the Deed
You can request the exemption at the time of purchase (if there is already an approved project or defined strategy) or request a refund later, after the completion of the works and city certification.
Step 3: Completing the Work
You must ensure the work is done within the legal timeframes so you don't lose the benefit and have to pay back the tax with interest.
The TeamQASA Perspective
At TeamQASA, we love rehabilitation projects. During our Phase 1: Purchase, we help you identify properties with this potential and confirm the tax benefits available in that specific area.
Buying to renovate is one of the smartest ways to create real estate value, and we ensure you don’t miss out on the advantages the law offers due to a lack of technical information.
Want to find the ideal rehabilitation project and save on IMT?
Talk to TeamQASA. We know the ARU zones and can help you calculate your profitability.