This article intends to describe the latest developments regarding the options on the taxation of shipping companies in Portugal. The recent policy developments aim at a reformulation of the taxation system, in particular with the possible adoption of a tonnage tax regime, like most of its European counterparts.
Thus, this article includes an overview of the current taxation options for shipping companies and seafarers in the EU, their framework for State aid and a general description of the tax policy options that may be adopted in Portugal; it also considers whether, in the Portuguese case, a simple change in the taxation model will be sufficiently attractive to encourage the return of ships to the conventional registry.
Intertax