Flash News NA 09/04/2025
Accounting in Portugal with SAP: Challenges and Opportunities for External Accountants

SAP is one of the most widely used management programs globally. However, when used by companies in Portugal, it poses specific challenges for external accountants. This article explores the role of certified accountants in SAP-based accounting, the main operational challenges, and the value that these professionals add to companies.

1. What is SAP?

SAP (Systems, Applications, and Products in Data Processing) is an ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) system that allows various areas of the company—such as finance, human resources, logistics, and accounting—to be integrated into a single system. In Portugal, it is mainly used by medium and large companies.
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2. Accounting in SAP and the Role of the External Accountant

Accounting processed through SAP requires a thorough understanding not only of Portuguese accounting standards (SNC), but also of the logic of the SAP system. In this context, the external accountant must:

• Ensure that accounting information complies with legal and tax requirements;

• Validate and interpret automatically generated accounting records;

• Ensure the correct preparation of the SAF-T (PT) file and its submission to the Tax Authority;

• Review entries and provide technical clarifications to the client company;

• Support integration with the IES and other reporting obligations.
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3. Advantages of External Accountant Intervention

Despite the complexity of the system, the external accountant adds value on several fronts:

• Monitoring compliance with the SNC and national taxation;

• Detecting inconsistencies in internal SAP processing;

• Providing strategic support to management, with critical reading of accounting information;

• Greater independence in the analysis and validation of internal processes;

• Safeguarding the company against tax inspections.
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4. Frequent Challenges for the External Accountant

Among the main challenges faced are:

• Limited access to the system and dependence on the internal team for data collection;

• Lack of specific training in the SAP accounting module;

• Difficulties in communication between technical and financial teams;

• Interpretation of automatic entries with internal logic different from traditional accounting;

• Need to reconcile legal deadlines with the complexity of the system.

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Conclusion:

Accounting processed with SAP requires the external accountant to make an extra effort to adapt, critically analyze, and communicate with the client company. However, this role is essential to ensure the accuracy, compliance, and added value of accounting.

At Nominaurea, we support certified accountants and companies in effective coordination with SAP. If your company uses this system and needs specialized technical and tax support, talk to us.