Ресурсы · Глоссарий
Глоссарий
Понятные руководства, FAQ и глоссарий для нерезидентов в испанской налоговой системе.
Fiscal
- AEAT(Spanish tax agency)
- Agencia Estatal de Administración Tributaria — the Spanish tax authority responsible for collecting state-level taxes including IRPF, IRNR, IS, IVA and the patrimonio (Modelo 714). Local tax matters are handled by the relevant CCAA or municipality.
- Autónomo(Self-employed)
- Self-employed status. Requires alta in RETA (Régimen Especial de Trabajadores Autónomos) at Seguridad Social plus alta at AEAT (Modelo 037). Triggers monthly Seguridad Social cuota and quarterly IRPF + IVA filings.
- Base imponible(Taxable base)
- Taxable amount before applying the rate, calculated by subtracting deductible expenses and reductions from gross income. Different from base liquidable, which is the result after further allowances are applied.
- Base liquidable(Net taxable base)
- Net taxable base after reductions and personal/family allowances are subtracted from base imponible. The tax rate is applied to base liquidable to reach the cuota.
- CDI(Double-taxation treaty)
- Convenio de Doble Imposición — bilateral tax treaty allocating taxing rights between Spain and the partner country, capping withholding rates on dividends, interest, royalties and capital gains. Spain has ~90 active CDIs.
- Certificado de residencia fiscal(Tax residency certificate)
- Document issued by the tax authority of the country of residence stating that the holder is a tax resident there. Required to invoke a CDI rate cap when receiving Spanish-source income (dividends, interest, royalties).
- Convenio(Treaty)
- In the fiscal context, shorthand for CDI (Convenio de Doble Imposición). May also refer to the 1963 Spain-France inheritance treaty or other bilateral fiscal instruments.
- Cuota(Tax due)
- Tax actually due after applying the rate to base liquidable and subtracting any deductions or credits. The cuota is the figure paid (or refunded) at filing.
- DGT(General tax directorate)
- Dirección General de Tributos — the Spanish Ministry of Finance unit that issues binding rulings (consultas vinculantes) on the interpretation of tax law. DGT rulings bind AEAT but not courts; the Tribunal Supremo has the final word.
- Domicilio fiscal(Fiscal address)
- The address registered with AEAT where official notifications are served. For non-residents this is typically the address of the fiscal representative in Spain (Modelo 030).
- Establecimiento permanente(Permanent establishment)
- Permanent establishment — fixed place of business through which a non-resident carries on activity in Spain. Triggers full IRNR taxation as if the entity were a Spanish company. The CDI's PE clause is the gating definition.
- Hacienda(Tax authority (informal))
- Informal Spanish term for the tax authority (state-level = AEAT, regional = Hacienda autonómica). When you hear "Hacienda dice…" it means AEAT or the relevant regional collector has issued an opinion or assessment.
- IRNR(Non-resident income tax)
- Impuesto sobre la Renta de No Residentes — Spanish income tax for non-residents. Filed via Modelo 210. Rate is 19 % (EU/EEA residents) or 24 % (non-EU). Triggers on Spanish-source income including imputed rental from owned property.
- IRPF(Resident income tax)
- Impuesto sobre la Renta de las Personas Físicas — Spanish income tax for residents. Progressive bracket from 19 % up to ~47-54 % depending on CCAA. Triggers when you spend >183 days in Spain or your centre of economic interests is here.
- IVA(VAT)
- Impuesto sobre el Valor Añadido — Spanish VAT. General rate 21 %, reduced 10 %, super-reduced 4 %. Filed quarterly via Modelo 303. New-build property purchases use IVA + AJD instead of ITP.
- Modelo 030(Fiscal-rep registration)
- AEAT form to designate a fiscal representative for non-residents (or notify changes to your fiscal address). Filed once when you appoint a representative; the representative receives all subsequent AEAT correspondence.
- Modelo 037(Simplified census)
- AEAT census form for individuals registering as autónomo (simplified version of Modelo 036). Activates the IRPF, IVA and IAE obligations triggered by self-employment.
- Modelo 100(Annual IRPF return)
- Annual personal income tax return for residents (IRPF). Filed between April and June for the previous calendar year. Captures worldwide income with credits for foreign tax paid via CDI.
- Modelo 130(Quarterly IRPF)
- Quarterly self-assessment for autónomos: 20 % of the period's net profit, paid in advance against the eventual annual Modelo 100. Q1 due 20 April, Q2 20 July, Q3 20 October, Q4 30 January.
- Modelo 210(IRNR return)
- IRNR return form. Imputed-income filing is annual (deadline 31 December of the year after); rental-income filing is quarterly. The same form covers capital-gain on disposal as well, with a 3 % buyer retention (Modelo 211) on account.
- Modelo 303(Quarterly VAT)
- Quarterly VAT self-assessment for autónomos and businesses. Reports IVA repercutido (charged to clients) minus IVA soportado (paid on inputs). Same Q1/Q2/Q3/Q4 deadlines as Modelo 130.
- Modelo 714(Wealth tax)
- Annual patrimonio (wealth-tax) return. For residents the threshold is €700 000 net wealth + €300 000 vivienda habitual exemption (national; CCAA can modulate). For non-residents the threshold applies only to Spanish-located assets.
- Modelo 720(Foreign-asset declaration)
- Informational return on foreign assets above €50 000 in any of three categories (accounts · listed securities/funds · real estate). Required of Spanish tax residents. The 2022 ECJ ruling struck down the original aggressive penalties but the filing obligation remains.
- Representante fiscal(Fiscal representative)
- A Spain-resident individual or company designated to represent a non-resident before AEAT. Mandatory in some cases (e.g. permanent establishment), strongly recommended in most others (so AEAT notifications reach a Spanish address). Designated via Modelo 030.
- RETA(Self-employed SS regime)
- Régimen Especial de Trabajadores Autónomos — the Seguridad Social regime for self-employed workers. Monthly cuota (€80 minimum first year under tarifa plana, scaling up). Different from RGSS (employees) or RETMAR (sea workers).
- TEAC(Central economic-administrative court)
- Tribunal Económico-Administrativo Central — top-tier administrative tribunal for tax disputes, sitting between AEAT and the contencioso-administrativo court system. TEAC criteria are binding on AEAT but reviewable by the Audiencia Nacional + TS.
Property
- AJD(Stamp duty)
- Actos Jurídicos Documentados — stamp duty applied on documented legal acts. For new-build property purchases (vivienda nueva) it replaces ITP; rate varies by CCAA, typically 1-1.5 %.
- Catastro(Cadastre)
- The Spanish cadastre — the registry of all real estate identifying physical, legal and economic attributes (location, surface, owner, valor catastral). Different from the Registro de la Propiedad which records ownership and charges.
- Escritura(Notary deed)
- A public deed signed before a notary. The vehicle for property transfers, mortgages, powers of attorney and inheritance acceptances. Must be entered in the Registro de la Propiedad to bind third parties for real estate transactions.
- IBI(Council property tax)
- Impuesto sobre Bienes Inmuebles — the annual municipal property tax based on valor catastral. Paid to the local town hall (ayuntamiento), not AEAT. Rates vary 0.4-1.1 % depending on CCAA and municipality.
- IIVTNU(Municipal plusvalía)
- Impuesto sobre el Incremento del Valor de los Terrenos de Naturaleza Urbana — municipal capital-gain tax on urban land. Often called plusvalía municipal. Post-STC 182/2021 the taxpayer can choose objective method (coefficients) or real-gain method.
- ITP(Property transfer tax)
- Impuesto sobre Transmisiones Patrimoniales — property transfer tax on used (vivienda usada) real estate purchases. Devolved to CCAAs; rates 6 % (Madrid) to 11-13 % (Cataluña, ComunidadValenciana). Doesn't apply to new-build (which uses AJD).
- LRHL(Local-tax law)
- Ley Reguladora de las Haciendas Locales (RDLeg 2/2004) — governs municipal taxes including IBI and IIVTNU. Article 108 caps the IIVTNU rate at 30 %; article 107 covers the post-STC 182/2021 dual-method election.
- Modelo 600(ITP/AJD self-assessment)
- Autonomic-level form for self-assessing ITP or AJD on a property purchase or other taxable transmission. Filed at the relevant CCAA tax office, not AEAT. Must be filed and paid before the escritura is registered.
- Plusvalía municipal(Municipal capital-gain tax)
- Common term for IIVTNU — the municipal land-value increment tax. Paid to the municipality where the property is located. Post-STC 182/2021 the taxpayer can choose objective method (coefficients) or real-gain method.
- Registro de la Propiedad(Land registry)
- Spanish land registry — the public registry of property ownership and charges (mortgages, easements, embargos). Different from the Catastro (which records physical/economic attributes). Inscription protects against third-party claims.
- Valor catastral(Cadastral value)
- Cadastral value — the administrative valuation of a property recorded at the Catastro, used as the base for IBI, IIVTNU and IRNR imputed-income. Generally below the market value (~50-70 %).
- Vivienda habitual(Habitual residence)
- Habitual residence — the property where the taxpayer lives at least 3 years before any tax-relevant event. Triggers reductions in IRPF (vivienda exemption on sale if reinvested), patrimonio (€300 000 exemption) and ISD (95 % reduction up to €122 606,47).
- Vivienda nueva(New-build property)
- New-build (first-transfer) property. Tax treatment: IVA + AJD (instead of ITP). The IVA rate is 10 % on residential, 21 % on commercial. AJD varies 1-1.5 % by CCAA.
- Vivienda usada(Second-hand property)
- Second-hand (subsequent-transfer) property. Tax treatment: ITP (instead of IVA + AJD). Rate varies 6 % (Madrid) to 11-13 % (Cataluña, ComunidadValenciana). Filed via Modelo 600 at the relevant CCAA.
Inheritance & gifts
- Erbschaftssteuer(German inheritance tax)
- German inheritance tax. Levied on heirs resident in Germany on worldwide inheritance with a credit for foreign inheritance tax paid (anrechenbar). No bilateral treaty with Spain on inheritance, only unilateral relief.
- ISD(Inheritance and gift tax)
- Impuesto sobre Sucesiones y Donaciones — Spanish inheritance and gift tax. Devolved to CCAAs, so the effective rate ranges from ~0 % (Madrid/Andalucía 99 % bonificación grupos I-II) to 20-30 % (less generous CCAAs). Modelo 650 for inheritance, Modelo 651 for gifts.
- LISD(Inheritance tax law)
- Ley del Impuesto sobre Sucesiones y Donaciones (Ley 29/1987) — the foundational Spanish inheritance and gift tax statute. Article 26 covers usufruct valuation; article 20 covers reductions; article 22 covers the multiplicador.
- Modelo 650(Inheritance return)
- ISD inheritance self-assessment form. Filed at the relevant CCAA within 6 months of death (extendable once by 6 more). Covers all heirs of one estate; each heir pays per their cuota.
- Modelo 651(Gift return)
- ISD gift-tax self-assessment form. Filed at the relevant CCAA within 30 working days of the gift (escritura date for property gifts). Same bonificación treatment as Modelo 650 in most CCAAs.
- Parentesco(Kinship group (ISD))
- Kinship category for ISD purposes (LISD art. 20). Group I: descendants under 21. Group II: descendants ≥21, spouse, ascendants. Group III: collateral relatives 2nd-3rd degree (siblings, uncles, nephews). Group IV: 4th-degree-and-beyond + non-relatives.
- Patrimonio preexistente(Pre-existing wealth (ISD))
- Heir's pre-existing net wealth at the moment of inheritance. Drives the multiplicador in LISD art. 22 (1.0× to 2.4× depending on bracket). Disclosure is mandatory on Modelo 650.
- Usufructo(Usufruct)
- Usufruct — right to use and benefit from property owned by another. Two flavours: vitalicio (for life) valued at 89 - age % (LISD art. 26.a, capped 10-70 %); temporal (fixed term) valued at 2 % per year capped at 70 %.
Immigration
- DNI(Spanish national ID)
- Documento Nacional de Identidad — the Spanish national identity document, issued only to Spanish citizens. Foreign nationals receive a NIE instead.
- NIE(Foreigner ID number)
- Número de Identidad de Extranjero — required for any tax filing, property transaction or contract in Spain by a foreign national. Two flavours: NIE comunitario (EU/EEA citizens) and NIE no comunitario (third country, more documentation).
General
- Apostilla(Apostille)
- Internationally recognised authentication of a public document under the 1961 Hague Convention. Required to validate foreign documents (poder, certificate of residency, birth/death certificate) for use in Spain.
- BOE(Spanish official gazette)
- Boletín Oficial del Estado — Spain's official legal gazette where all enacted laws, royal decrees, ministerial orders and tax regulations are published. A reference is only legally enforceable once published in the BOE.
- CCAA(Autonomous community)
- Comunidades Autónomas — Spain has 17 autonomous regions plus 2 autonomous cities (Ceuta + Melilla), each with its own fiscal powers over inheritance/gift tax, ITP, AJD, patrimonio and certain IRPF deductions.
- EEE(European Economic Area)
- European Economic Area — EU member states plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. Some Spanish tax provisions (rental-expense deductibility) extend to EEA residents in line with EU free-movement law, even when EU rates do not.
- Notario(Notary public)
- Notary — Spanish notaries are public officials with independent fee-regulated tariffs (arancel). Their seal converts a private document into an escritura with full evidentiary force.
- Poder(Power of attorney)
- Power of attorney. For Spanish use: notarised in Spain (poder español) or apostilled + sworn-translated if granted abroad. Common types: poder general (broad), poder especial (specific transaction), poder preventivo (effective on incapacity).
- STC(Constitutional court ruling)
- Sentencia del Tribunal Constitucional — Constitutional Court ruling. STC 182/2021 is the landmark plusvalía municipal decision invalidating the prior calculation method when the actual gain was zero or negative.
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