Portugal is going after oil profits.
The tax is no surprise. Finance Minister Joaquim Miranda Sarmento had already said the country was looking at a windfall tax. The trigger is simple: the war in Iran has pushed fuel prices higher, and that has meant fat profits for companies that pump and refine crude. The government wants a cut of those extra gains.
The Lusa news agency first reported the approval, and a government spokesperson later confirmed it. Details are still thin, but the plan is to use the money raised to help households and vulnerable businesses deal with high fuel costs, and to fund investments that move Portugal away from oil and gas.
You can see why the government stepped in. When a company's profit grows nearly half in one year because global events push up prices, the math starts to look a little lopsided.
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That kind of profit growth is good for shareholders - Galp's board of directors already recommended a 10% increase in the dividend per share for 2026. But it is exactly the kind of surge that invites government attention. Windfall taxes are not new in Europe.
Several countries slapped them on energy companies when prices spiked after Russia invaded Ukraine. Portugal is following the same playbook.
Windfall taxes have become a familiar tool across Europe. After Russia's invasion of Ukraine sent energy prices soaring, countries like Italy, Spain, and the UK imposed similar levies on oil and gas companies. Portugal's move follows that pattern, though the tax is explicitly temporary.
The revenue will be used to cushion households and businesses from high fuel costs and to finance the transition away from fossil fuels. Galp's strong earnings - fueled by the Iran conflict - make it a prime target, but the company's dividend increase signals confidence that the tax will not severely dent its profitability.
The catch: the tax is temporary, but nobody knows exactly how it will work yet. The government plans a press conference at 4 p.m. local time in Lisbon to give more details.
This is a reminder that energy stocks come with political risk. When oil prices spike because of war, oil companies make more money. But governments under pressure from voters facing high gas and heating bills often look for a way to share the pain.
For investors holding Galp or other European oil stocks, the question is where this stops. Other governments could follow. Portugal is not a huge market, but the pattern is recognizable.
On the flip side, the tax is temporary, and Galp is still paying a growing dividend. The proposed 10% increase suggests the company's board is confident the business will keep generating cash, even after the tax bites. The profit jump was 45% - the tax will take some of that, but not all of it.
The bottom line: when profits get this big this fast, politicians notice. Your portfolio does not have to avoid energy entirely, but it pays to know which companies operate in places where a windfall tax might land next.
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