juros de mora
Published 5 November 2026, 22:39
juros de mora (late-payment interest)
A charge for money paid after the deadline. It runs from the day after the last date for voluntary payment until the month in which you pay. The rate for debts to the state is set each year; the figure people quote, 8.309% a year, is the one from September 2025.
Where you come across it. An unpaid bill from the tax authority, payment in instalments, debt enforcement, debts to Segurança Social.
The instalment plan breakdown does not show the interest: it is added separately to each payment slip, and that is where you see the real amount. If the debt is covered by a bank guarantee, the rate is halved. Nor is interest charged indefinitely: for no more than five years, or eight when paying in instalments.