According to PPC Land (15 October 2026), Meta has charged since 1 July 2026 “location fees” of 2% to 5% in Austria, Turkey, France, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom, which pass through those countries’ digital services taxes. Source example: a 100-dollar campaign aimed at Austria costs 105 plus VAT. Portugal is not on the list. For Portuguese companies advertising in Spain or France, effective cost rises and the ROAS reported in dashboards may be overstated.
What was reported
PPC Land reported, in a piece on Amazon Ads Agent published on 15 October 2026, that Meta applies since 1 July 2026 “location fees” of 2% to 5% in six markets: Austria, Turkey, France, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom. According to the source, Meta presents them as a pass-through of those countries’ digital services taxes.
The example given is simple: a 100-dollar campaign aimed at Austria costs 105 dollars plus VAT. The source also cites MediaPost for the application mechanics.
Is Portugal included?
By the source’s list, no: Portugal doesn’t appear among the six markets. This means a campaign aimed only at Portugal doesn’t pay these fees, according to the report. If the situation changes, Meta will have to communicate it, and it’s worth checking in your ad account terms.
What matters is the location of the campaign’s target audience, not the company’s seat. A Portuguese company advertising in Spain or France is, under the logic described, subject to the fee in those markets.
Meta location fees
2% to 5%
added to the budget in six markets, since 1 July 2026
Austria, Turkey, France, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom, according to PPC Land. Portugal is not on the source’s list.
Who is affected in Portugal
E-commerce exporters selling to Spain and France, tourism and accommodation companies attracting Spanish and French customers, B2B software and services with Iberian or European clients, and fashion and gastronomy brands with a market in Spain. Geographic and linguistic proximity makes Spain the first expansion market for many Portuguese SMEs.
If 30% of your Meta budget goes to Spain, the fee may represent an increase of up to 1.5% in total cost (5% on 30%), which changes the maths for tight margins.
How the fee applies to cost
According to the source, the fee is added on top of the budget and VAT is calculated on the total. It also says it sits outside Meta’s automated optimisation. That means the system optimises on the net budget, and final cost is higher than what the campaign “sees”.
The consequence pointed out by an expert cited by the source is that reported ROAS may be lower than dashboards show and forecasting becomes harder. In practical terms: reconcile the invoice with the reports.
Add the fee to cost before computing ROAS. Margin doesn't forgive.
A simple impact calculation
Imagine, hypothetically, that you spend 2,000 euros a month in Spain with a ROAS of 4 on the dashboard. With a 5% fee, effective cost becomes 2,100, and real ROAS on total cost is about 3.8. With 2%, it’s about 3.9. The example is invented and shows the method: add the fee to cost before computing ROAS and margin.
If margin is narrow, a difference like this can separate profit from loss.
What to do: five steps
First, identify which campaigns have audiences in Austria, Turkey, France, Italy, Spain or the United Kingdom. Second, confirm the fee applied on the invoice and account terms. Third, recompute ROAS and CPA with total cost. Fourth, review targets and budgets. Fifth, compare with other channels, such as Google Ads, where passing on digital taxes has existed for years for some countries, according to the source.
Don’t cut markets just because of the fee: decide by profit, not by percentage.
Context: digital taxes and pass-through
The source recalls that Google began passing on similar fees in November 2020 (2% in the UK, 5% in Turkey) and that Amazon applies “Regulatory Advertising Fees” since at least August 2024. Passing on digital taxes is therefore an established practice in the sector, which now reaches one more channel.
The estimate cited by the source is that the six markets made up about 13% of Meta’s 2025 revenue, which shows the weight of the decision.
What to ask your agency
Which of our campaigns are subject to location fees? How do they appear on the invoice? Do reports show ROAS with or without the fee? Did we change budgets or targets because of this? How do we compare Spain’s cost with Portugal’s?
If you want to review the real cost of your Meta campaigns in Spain and France, with the fee included, I can help build the spreadsheet and the margin reading.
Common mistakes when dealing with location fees
Ignoring the fee on the invoice; comparing dashboard ROAS with real ROAS without adjustment; cutting a market without looking at margin; forgetting that VAT applies to the total; and not warning the finance department. Each of these errors distorts budget decisions. The solution is simple: a monthly sheet joining platform cost, fee, VAT and sales, and a short meeting to read it.
Frequently asked questions
Does Portugal pay these fees?
According to the source’s list, Portugal is not included. Check your account terms.
Does a Portuguese company advertising in Spain pay?
Under the logic described, the fee applies to campaigns aimed at those markets. Confirm on the invoice.
Is the fee charged on top of the budget?
Yes, according to the source: it’s added to the budget and VAT is calculated on the total.
Sources consulted
Keep reading
- Portugal invests 0.33% of GDP in advertising, half the European average: what the APAN and Nova SBE study says and what it means for an SME
- Google Ads benchmarks in 2026: 5.42-dollar CPC and 8.18% conversion, and why not to use them as a target in Portugal
- Google Ads or Meta Ads for an SME in Portugal: how to choose in 2026, with automation and privacy changing