Portugal Holiday & Christmas Subsidy Calculator
See exactly what lands in your account each month -- paid as a lump sum in June and November, or spread by duodécimos across all 12 months.
How we calculated this
Each subsidy is withheld as if it were paid all at once, at the value of one month of base salary. Under lump-sum payment, that full net amount lands in June and November. Under duodécimos, the same annual total is split evenly across the 12 months.
The right to both subsidies
Any employee in Portugal is legally entitled to a holiday subsidy and a Christmas subsidy, each equivalent to one month of base pay (plus any other regular, periodic allowances). The holiday subsidy is normally paid before taking leave, and the Christmas one by 15 December. In your first year of work, the amount is proportional to time served that civil year, not the full month.
Lump sum vs. duodécimos
By default, the subsidies are paid all at once, in their own months -- that's why June and November tend to feel like "good" months and the other ten, tighter by comparison. The duodécimos option, restored by Lei n.º 90/2019, lets an employee request that the value of both subsidies be spread evenly across the 12 months of the year, smoothing monthly income instead of concentrating it into two peaks. The total received over the year is exactly the same either way -- only when the money arrives changes.
How to request duodécimos
The choice is made by written notice to the employer, normally by 31 October of the previous year, to take effect from the following 1 January. It's not something you can switch on partway through the current year -- if you're thinking of changing, it's worth confirming the exact deadline and process with your HR department.
How the subsidies are withheld
Unlike your regular monthly salary, each subsidy is withheld separately: the rate applied is the one that would correspond to receiving that full amount at once, even though in practice (under duodécimos) only a fraction of it arrives each month. There's no meal allowance tied to the subsidy payment itself -- that component only applies to your regular monthly salary.
What this calculator doesn't do
It assumes both subsidies are worth exactly one month of base salary, the legal default -- if your contract or collective agreement sets a different amount, the numbers here won't match your payslip exactly. It also doesn't model your first year of work (proportional subsidy) or contract suspension situations.
Frequently asked questions
Am I always entitled to both subsidies?
Yes -- the holiday subsidy and the Christmas subsidy are a legal right for any employee in Portugal, each worth one month of base pay (plus any other regular allowances). In your first year of work, the amount is proportional to time served that civil year.
Can I switch to duodécimos partway through the year?
Choosing duodécimos is normally done by notifying your employer by 31 October of the previous year, to take effect from the following 1 January -- it's not something you can switch on partway through the current year. Check with your HR department for the exact deadline and process at your company.
Are the subsidies taxed the same way as regular salary?
Not exactly -- each subsidy is withheld separately, at the rate that would apply if the entire subsidy were paid at once (even under duodécimos, the withholding calculation uses the full subsidy amount, only the payment itself is spread out). There's no meal allowance tied to the subsidy payment itself.
Related tools
You know the calendar. Now it just needs to stay visible.
Add your subsidies to Otterbond as an income with its own payday, and log them when they arrive so your daily number reflects them.
Try it freeEstimate from 2026 public withholding rules, not financial, legal or tax advice.