Contrary to popular belief, it is not all bad news on becoming resident in Spain. Lawyer Raymundo Larraín sheds some light on the matter, casting away some widely held prejudices.
The following article has been summarised to avoid unnecessary tax technicalities. The quoted tax rates are subject to change from one year to the next. The advice given is of a general nature and should not be construed as tailored tax advice. Seek professional legal advice on your matter – see disclaimer below.
Article copyrighted © 2018. Plagiarism will be criminally prosecuted.
By Raymundo Larraín Nesbitt
Director of Larraín Nesbitt Lawyers
8th of March 2018
Introduction
2018 will go down as a year of changes. The advent of the Common Reporting Standard (CRS, for short) coupled with the dreaded Brexit will significantly dent the taxation of non-residents in Spain.
‘Fake’ non-residents in Spain will have already started to feel the heat from their lenders as from early January in the shape of letters, emails and phone calls requesting clients confirm their tax details that will be relayed over to the Spanish Tax Office. Moreover, some Spanish banks have even contacted some of my clients threatening them with freezing their bank accounts in Spain unless they could prove their alleged 'non-resident' status. This is quite the change from what we were used to in Spain in previous years where it was ‘no pasa nada’.
The Spanish Tax Office receives information from 47 different sources (!). So, going forward, ‘fake’ non-residents are playing a cat and mouse game with the tax office that will likely end (very) badly for them. Not to mention they could also get into trouble with their home country’s tax office as well. I already made it clear in previous taxation articles that you have to come out clean in 2018; or you are resident, or you are non-resident in Spain for tax purposes. You can no longer sit on the fence gaming the system to your advantage.
The purpose of this article is to give some pointers on why becoming (tax) resident in Spain is not as bad as some people would have us believe. Mind you, if you do become tax resident in Spain, you will be taxed on your worldwide income unless you are lucky enough to attain from Spain’s Tax Office a coveted Non-Domiciled tax status (only affluent taxpayers need apply, thank you very much) which basically legally exempts you from paying tax on your worldwide assets/income. So much for equality.
The below list is open-ended, there are many more I do not mention (regional variations).
Income tax
Inheritance tax:
Gift tax
Capital gains tax (on selling your property in Spain)
Plusvalia tax (on selling, on inheriting)
IBI tax (Spain’s council tax)
Wealth tax
Other advantages
* Subject to terms.
** Subject to a cap.
*** Subject to terms.
Conclusion
Do you still think that becoming tax resident in Spain offers no real advantages? Think again.
Our team of native English-speaking lawyers and economists have a long track record (over 15 years' experience) successfully assisting expats on their tax matters in Spain. If you pay more taxes than you should, it is only because you want to.
Come and speak to qualified professionals, we will mitigate your tax exposure with efficient tax-planning and avoid non-optimal taxation scenarios.
Larraín Nesbitt Lawyers, small on fees, big on service.
“Está el hoy abierto al mañana.
Mañana al infinito.
Hombres de España: ni el pasado ha muerto,
ni está el mañana ni el ayer escrito" – Antonio Machado.
Antonio Cipriano José María y Francisco de Santa Ana Machado y Ruiz (1875 – 1939). Brilliant Spanish poet and one of the leading figures of the Spanish literary movement known as the Generation of ’98. Died in exile during the fratricidal Spanish Civil War. He is credited as being one of Spain’s most popular poets. Amongst his timeless classics, Campos de Castilla stands head and shoulders above the rest.
Larraín Nesbitt Lawyers is a law firm specialized in taxation, inheritance, conveyancing, and litigation. We will be very pleased to discuss your matter with you. You can contact us by e-mail at info@larrainnesbitt.com, by telephone on (+34) 952 19 22 88 or by completing our contact form.
Article also published at Spanish Property Insight: Tax advantages on becoming resident in Spain.
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Please note the information provided in this article is of general interest only and is not to be construed or intended as substitute for professional legal advice. This article may be posted freely in websites or other social media so long as the author is duly credited. Plagiarizing, whether in whole or in part, this article without crediting the author may result in criminal prosecution. VOV.
2.018 © Raymundo Larraín Nesbitt. All rights reserved.