Can I pay 25% less on Segurança Social?
Sofia Rocha e Silva
Author of the Contas com a Sofia column
As a freelance designer, I quickly realized that making money as a self-employed individual is a complex issue. That's why I created the Luscofia project, which helps freelancers and small business owners simplify their invoicing process. Every month, I share tips on invoicing with Moloni to make life easier for those who work independently.
January is here, which means it’s time for the Quarterly Segurança Social Declaration for self-employed workers! When you submit it, the platform asks if you want to adjust your contribution by 25%. Sounds a bit confusing, right? Can you really pay less? Are there any consequences? And why would you ever pay more? Let’s break it down.
How it works
This is just for self-employed people (ENI) on the quarterly declaration scheme.
Once you fill in your income for the quarter, you’ll see your expected contribution for the next three months. Then you can choose to increase or decrease it.
You can adjust in 5% steps, up to 25%. So the max you can go up or down is 25%, but you can pick smaller amounts too.
As you tweak it, the platform updates your contribution instantly.
Why does this exist?
This flexible system replaced the old income brackets when Segurança Social went quarterly. It gives you more control and helps smooth out the usual ups and downs of self-employed income.
Why pay less 25%?
To save money
Maybe you had a busy quarter and earned more than usual, but you don’t want your contribution to spike. Or maybe you just want to pay less in the next few months. Either way, it’s an option.
Waiting on clients to pay?
Classic freelancer problem: you invoice a job, it counts as income, but the payment hasn’t arrived yet. Dropping your contribution by 25% can help ease the pinch.
Not fussed about pensions or benefits
Some people do this because they don’t see the point in paying more than necessary. If you’re not planning to rely on the state pension, don’t believe it’ll exist when you retire, or aren’t interested in social benefits, paying less makes sense.
Any downsides? Will you have to pay it later?
Paying less means your registered income is lower than your actual earnings. This affects social benefits (sick pay, parental leave, pension, etc.)—they’ll be lower too.
Other than that, no worries. Segurança Social won’t come after you later asking for the difference. You won’t end up in debt.
Why pay +25%?
Planning to have a baby?
If you’re self-employed, you’re entitled to parental leave. The pay is based on recent income, so boosting contributions before leave can mean more money while you’re off.
Want a bigger pension?
Same idea. Paying more now can give you a slightly bigger pension later. You can even simulate it on the Segurança Social website. Keep in mind: some forecasts suggest that by 2050, the state pension might only cover around 40% of your last salary.
Boost other benefits
Increasing contributions can also give you extra security. Most benefits are calculated from contributions over the past 6–12 months, so higher contributions = higher benefits if you get sick or need support.
Avoid a rough quarter affecting you later
Some quarters are worse than others. To prevent your contribution (and future benefits) from dropping too low, you can increase it by 25% to balance out a weaker quarter.
The - or +25% choice is yours
Each quarter, based on your situation and plans, you can decide whether to keep, raise, or lower your contribution.
Always reducing? No problem
You still save money. You could stash the difference in a separate account, a PPR, or invest it. Contributing less doesn’t automatically mean you’re unprotected long-term. For freelancers, building your own safety net is key.