خطط لتحديث برنامج جوائز دافعي الضرائب

This year, the number of invoices issued with a NIF (tax identification number) and, therefore, eligible for the Lucky Factura draws, already exceeds 1,310 million. This is the highest annual value since the program was launched in April 2014, with the objective of combating tax evasion and the parallel economy.

Requests for invoices registered with tax numbers have grown every year, leveraged in a first phase by the raffle of high-end cars and, later, by savings certificates. But the pace of growth has slowed down.

According to data provided to DN/Dinheiro Vivo by the Tributária e Aduaneira (AT), it appears that the number of registered invoices has almost doubled since the start of the program. In the first year of the raffle, which began in April, more than 352 million entered the tax authorities. In 2015 (the first full exercise of the contest), they soared to 709 million, a number that compared with those accounted for in the system in the eleven months already elapsed from 2022 (the 1,310 million already mentioned) shows an increase of 85%. And it still remains to add those that will be issued throughout this month of December, a period traditionally marked by high consumption.

The prize program, launched by the government of Pedro Passos Coelho and which has been continued by Prime Minister, António Costa, initially awarded prizes of Audi cars and now awards treasury certificates.

New prizes

The tax authority is now considering whether to keep the treasury certificates as a prize. At the time of its launch, the government justified the change in the benefit by stimulating the savings it was giving to taxpayers. It was also established that the total or partial redemption of the certificates was only possible 12 months after the subscription date. Already this year it was reported that AT was studying the launch of new prizes for the prize. On the table will be the possibility of offering electric cars or discount vouchers to use in restaurants, hotels and cultural events.

Statistics provided by AT show that, from April 2014 to September of this year, 444 regular draws (weekly) and 51 extraordinary draws (usually held in June and December) were held, totalling 18.090 million in prizes. In weekly contests, the prize has a value of 35 thousand euros and in extraordinary ones it amounts to 50 thousand. In this rule, in the approximately two years that the allocation of cars lasted, 105 Audi A4 and 12 A6 were raffled off. With regard to certificates, there were 339 contests for the prize of 35 thousand euros and 39 for 50 thousand.

The most populous districts of the country have seen the most prizes given. The top five is led by Lisbon (149 awards), followed by Porto (76), Aveiro (35), Braga (31) and Setúbal (29).

How to win?

All invoices with NIF, and that entered the AT system, are eligible for weekly and extraordinary contests. The program is known as Fatura da Sorte. The Tax Authorities convert the invoices into coupons, that is, the taxpayer receives a registration number for every ten euros of invoices. The draws are broadcast on television, but the winners are also notified by email or registered letter. According to AT, "until September there are six unclaimed prizes, worth a total of 210,000 euros".