Portugal

About 2.4 million workers receive meal allowance via card

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Based on a feed excerpt; full article content has not been acquired. Source evidence retrieved 12/11/2026, 09:56:24 UTC.

Briefings

Portugal reported 4.7 million beneficiaries of the meal allowance in 2025, with 2.4 million receiving it via bank cards. The total value of these cards was 2.76 billion euros. The State is exempt from paying tax on the allowance up to a daily limit, which increases automatically to 10.71 euros in 2027 due to a 2026-2029 agreement signed in January. The executive plans to raise the allowance by 15 cents to 6.30 euros in 2027, increasing the tax exemption to 10.71 euros. Future years show further increases: 6.45 euros in 2028 and 6.60 euros in 2029, raising the tax exemption to 10.965 euros and 11.220 euros respectively. The data source is the Autoridade Tributária e Aduaneira (AT) based on monthly salary declarations.

Key points

• In 2025, 4.7 million people in Portugal received the meal allowance, totaling 5.876 billion euros in value.
• 2.4 million workers received the allowance via bank cards, representing a total value of 2.76 billion euros.

Context

The meal allowance is exempt from tax up to a daily limit, which varies by payment method. The 2026-2029 agreement signed in January 2026 mandates an automatic increase in the allowance for public sector workers, leading to higher tax exemptions for card recipients. The data comes from the AT based on employer declarations.

Limitations

Data is limited to 2025 figures from the AT. Future years (2027-2029) projections are based on the 2026-2029 agreement and are not confirmed facts. The specific value of the meal allowance varies by payment method and sector.

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