The Portuguese Tax Benefits Code ("EBF")
INTRODUCTION
The introduction of the EBF in 1989 (by means of Decree-Law 215/89 of July 1) has allowed the concentration of the several tax benefits, which existed in the Portuguese tax system. In the case of corporate income taxes alone, there were more than 35 separate legal diplomas dealing with tax benefits.
The EBF was enacted under the form of a Code and it was then divided into the following sections:
- General Provisions, dealing with the concept of tax benefit, its constitution, loss and transfer,
- Procedural provisions dealing with the recognition of a tax benefit and the prior consultation procedure (whereby a taxpayer may request the opinion of the Tax Authorities as to the applicability of a given provision of the EBF to a particular situation),
