Spanish taxes for US Expats
Our team is able to offer cross border tax planning and cross border tax returns with Spain. So Spain – US, Spain – UK, Spain – Australia, Spain – Canada and so on.
Most of our clients require Spain – US tax services. So let’s talk about Spain – US taxes
Depending on the source, there are between 50 000 and 150 000 Americans in Spain. We have quite a few articles and videos on taxes for those exposed to the tax systems of both Spain and the US – https://htj.tax/?s=spain
Please note that the US and Spanish governments share taxpayer info, while Spanish banks pass on US account holders’ account info to the IRS, so it’s not worth hiding. The penalties for tax evasion for expats are severe to say the least.
If you’re a US citizen, green card holder, or US/Spanish dual citizen, and you have been living in Spain but you didn’t know you had to file a US tax return, don’t worry: there’s a program called the IRS Streamlined Procedure that allows you to get up to date with your filing without facing any penalties. Don’t delay though, in case the IRS finds you first.
I ‐ TAX RESIDENCE
A natural person is a resident in Spanish territory when any of the following circumstances apply:
• That they remain more than 183 days, during the calendar year, in Spanish territory.
To determine this period of stay, absences will be counted sporadic unless the taxpayer proves his tax residence in another country (through a certificate of tax residence issued by the tax authorities of that other country). In the case of countries or territories of those classified as paradise tax, the Tax Administration may require proof of permanence in the same for 183 days in the calendar year.
• That the main nucleus or the base of its economic activities or interests resides in Spain directly or indirectly.
• That the spouse not legally separated and the children habitually reside in Spain, minors who depend on this natural person. This third assumption admits prove otherwise.
II ‐ INCOME TAX OF INDIVIDUALS
If a natural person, in accordance with what is described, turns out to be a TAX RESIDENT in Spain, it will be taxpayer for Personal Income Tax (IRPF) and must pay in Spain for the WORLDWIDE INCOME, that is, you must declare in Spain the income you obtain in any part of the world, without prejudice to the provisions of the Convention to avoid International double taxation signed between Spain and the country of origin of the income.
The treaties list certain types of income and provide, with respect to each of them, the Tax powers that correspond to each signatory State:
• in some cases, exclusive power for the taxpayer’s country of residence,
• in others, exclusive power for the country of origin of the income and,
• finally, in some cases, power shared between both countries, being able to both tax the same income but with the obligation for the country of residence of the taxpayer to arbitrate measures to avoid double taxation. The Hispanic American Double Taxation Agreement contains a “Reservation clause” according to which the United States reserves the right to tax on its citizens and residents as if the Convention were not in force. The tax borne in the United States by a resident of Spain based on the citizenship criterion does not give the right in Spain to apply a deduction for income tax international double taxation. If the United States taxes on income using of the “reserve clause” established for its citizens, double taxation it is up to the United States to avoid it.
The personal income tax period is the calendar year. A person will be a resident or a non-resident throughout the calendar year since the change of residence does not imply the interruption of the tax period.
The INCOME DECLARATION of individuals tax residents in Spain, is presented in the months of April, May and June of the year following the accrual. The regulations of personal income tax regulate limits and conditions that determine the obligation to present the tax declaration, which must be consulted every year. Exempt income is not into account to determine the obligation to declare.
Example: Taxpayer, tax resident in Spain, whose only income in 2015 is a pension from the United States, caused by having worked in a company in that country. (Spain generally has the exclusive power to tax as it is a private pension. Treatment in the Convention is explained below). If the pension exceeds the amount of 12,000 euros per year, taking into account the limits and conditions of the obligation to declare related to fiscal year 2015, would be obliged to present declaration by the personal income tax corresponding to 2015, since the pension payer American is not obliged to make withholdings on account of Spanish personal income tax.
HISPANIC-AMERICAN AGREEMENT
In a simplified way, taking into account the provisions of the Agreement between Spain and the United States of America (CDI), the taxation for FISCAL RESIDENTS in Spain of the most commonly obtained US SOURCE income would be:
Pensions (see details in postscript below): understood as remunerations that have their cause in a job previously exercised, they have different treatment depending on whether they are public or private.
• Public pension (article 21.2 CDI): a public pension is understood to be one that is received by reason of a previous public employment; that is, the one received by reason for services rendered to a State, to one of its political subdivisions or to a local entity, for example, the pension received by an official. Its treatment is:
1. In general, public pensions will only be taxed in the United States.
In Spain they would be exempt, although exemption would be applied progressively. This means that if the taxpayer were obliged to file a return for obtaining other income, the amount of the exempt pension would be taken into account to calculate the tax applicable to the remaining income.
2. However, if the beneficiary of the public pension resident in Spain had
Spanish nationality, the aforementioned pensions would only pay tax in Spain.
• Private pension (article 20 CDI): private pension means any other type of pension received by reason of a previous private job, as opposed to that has been identified as public employment, for example, the pension received from the social security by a private sector worker. Its treatment is:
1. In general, private pensions will only be taxed in Spain.
2. However, payments made under the Social Security regime of United States, a resident of Spain or a citizen of the United States, may also be taxed in the United States, in which case the resident taxpayer would have the right to apply in Spain for personal income tax deduction for international double taxation, stating that the income has been subject to tax in the United States based on criteria other than that of citizenship.
Income derived from real estate (Article 6 CDI): income from real estate located in the United States, they can be taxed in both Spain and the United States. The resident taxpayer would have the right to apply the deduction for personal income tax in Spain international double taxation.
Dividends (article 10 CDI): US source dividends may be subject to taxation in Spain in accordance with its internal legislation. These dividends can also be taxed in the United States, if it is the country where the company resides that pays dividends and according to the legislation of that State, but if the beneficial owner of dividends is a resident of Spain, the tax thus required will have a maximum limit of 15 percent of the gross number of dividends. The resident taxpayer would be entitled to apply in Spain in the personal income tax the deduction for international double taxation up to that limit.
Interest (article 11 CDI): Interest from the United States may be subject to taxation in Spain in accordance with its internal legislation. However, these interests may also be taxed in the United States, in accordance with its laws internal, but if the beneficial owner of the interest is a resident of Spain, the tax thus required in the United States cannot exceed 10 percent of the gross amount of the interests. In Spain you would have the right to apply the deduction for international double taxation up to that limit.
Remuneration of members of the boards of directors of companies resident in United States (Article 18 CDI): can be taxed both in the United States and in Spain. The taxpayer would have the right in Spain to apply the double deduction international taxation.
Capital gains:
• Derivatives of real estate (article 13.1 CDI): the gains obtained by the alienation of real estate located in the United States, may be subject to taxation in both Spain and the United States. The taxpayer has the right to apply in Spain the deduction for international double taxation.
• Derivatives of shares, participations or other rights in one company or another legal person whose assets consist, directly or indirectly, mainly of real estate located in Spain, or derived from shares, participations or other rights in the capital of a company or other legal person resident of United States under certain conditions of period of stay and percentage of participation (article 13.2 and 13.4 CDI): the gains derived from the disposal of Those shares, participations or other rights may be taxed in Spain (article 13.2 CDI). However, with respect to those obtained from the sale of shares under certain conditions of period of permanence and percentage of participation (article 13.4 CDI), there may be shared taxation power to both countries. In the event of double taxation, in Spain the taxpayer would be entitled to apply the deduction for double taxation international. However, in the case of application of article 13.4 of the CDI, these earnings will be deemed to be earned in the United States to the extent necessary to avoid double taxation.
• Derived from movable property belonging to a permanent establishment or to a fixed base (article 13.3 CDI): the gains obtained from the disposal of assets that are attached to a permanent establishment or a fixed base from which a resident in Spain has or has arranged in the United States for the conducting business activities or providing professional services independent, including the gains derived from the disposal of the permanent establishment or fixed base, may be taxed both in United States as in Spain. In the event of double taxation, in Spain the taxpayer would have the right to apply the deduction for double taxation.
• Derived from another class of goods (article 13.7 CDI): in general, the gains derived from the sale of any other class of goods, excluding royalties, can only be taxed in Spain, provided that this is the State of residence of the transferor. An example of this type of capital gains would be the one corresponding to the sale of shares of a US company.
In addition to those mentioned above, the Agreement lists other types of income (business benefits, professional services, remuneration for salaried work, artists and athletes, public functions, other income …)
III ‐ OBLIGATION OF INFORMATION ON ASSETS ABROAD
People residing in Spain must inform the Spanish Tax Administration about three different categories of assets and rights located abroad:
• accounts in financial institutions located abroad
• securities, rights, insurance and income deposited, managed or obtained abroad
• real estate and rights to real estate located abroad
This obligation must be fulfilled, through form 720, between January 1 and March 31 of the year following the one to which the information to be supplied refers.
There will be no obligation to report on each of the categories of goods when the value of the set of goods corresponding to each category does not exceed 50,000 euros. Once the informative return has been presented for one or more of the categories of goods and rights, the presentation of the declaration in subsequent years will be mandatory when the value has experienced an increase of more than 20,000 euros compared to that determined by the
presentation of the last declaration.
The Personal Income Tax Law and the General Tax Law establishes specific consequences for the case of non-compliance with this information obligation.
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More on Pensions
Introduction
The starting point would be the 1990 Tax Treaty here – https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-trty/spain.pdf
Article 20 of the model treaty tells us that –
1. Subject to the provisions of Article 21 (Government Service):
(a) pensions and other similar remuneration derived and beneficially owned by a resident of a Contracting State in consideration of past employment shall be taxable only in that State; and
(b) social security benefits paid by a Contracting State to a resident of the other Contracting State or a citizen of the United States may be taxed in the first-mentioned State.
2. Annuities derived and beneficially owned by a resident of a Contracting State shall be taxable only in that State. The term “annuities@ as used in this paragraph means a stated sum paid periodically at stated times during a specific time period, under an obligation to make the payments in return for adequate and full consideration (other than services rendered).
Reference is also made to article 21 – Government Service. The relevant portion would be paragraph 2 and 3 –
2. (a) Any pension paid by, or out of funds created by, a Contracting State or a political subdivision or a local authority thereof to an individual in respect of services rendered to that State or subdivision or authority shall be taxable only in that State.
(b) However, such pension shall be taxable only in the other Contracting State if the individual is a resident of, and a national of, that State.
3. The provisions of Articles 15 (Independent Personal Services), 16 (Dependent Personal Services), 18 (Directors’ Fees), 19 (Artistes and Athletes), and 20 (Pensions, Annuities, Alimony, and Child Support) shall apply to remuneration and pensions in respect of services rendered in connection with a business carried on by a Contracting State or a political subdivision or a local authority thereof
The Protocol and Pension Contributions
Fast forward to 2013, we have a Protocol which amends the aforementioned treaty between the US and the Kingdom of Spain. You can read it here – https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/tax-policy/treaties/Documents/Treaty-Protocol-Spain-1-14-2013.pdf
In 2019, after several years of delays, the U.S. Senate approved four treaty protocols with Japan, Luxembourg, Switzerland and Spain. Republican Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky had placed a hold on each of these protocols in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for several years because of objections over concerns about the privacy of taxpayer information.
Generally, all four protocols modernize provisions in the respective tax treaties, conforming them to more recent U.S. bilateral tax treaties as well as U.S. law and international standards. The protocols generally conform to provisions in the 2006 U.S. Model Treaty, which was the most recent U.S. model treaty at the time these protocols were under negotiation.
While the protocols address a number of different provisions of the existing U.S. treaties with these countries, they also have an impact on pension plans and we will briefly examine this impact below.
For instance, the Swiss treaty includes favorable language providing tax exemption in the host country for home country pension contributions, but only for assignments up to five years. The protocol with Switzerland does not alter such treatment or add anything new, such as, for example, U.S. tax relief for a U.S. citizen local hire in Switzerland participating in a Swiss pension plan.
The Swiss protocol however does make a change in the pension area, by expanding the types of pension plans that may qualify for treaty relief. The Swiss-U.S. treaty provides that dividends paid to a pension plan situated in the other country are exempt from tax in the home country, provided the Internal Revenue Service and the Swiss taxing authority (the “competent authorities”) agree that the plan generally corresponds to a pension plan in the other country. Prior to amendment by the protocol, the treaty granted this exemption to certain U.S. plans such as 401(k), 403(b) and 457(b) plans, however, individual retirement accounts were not entitled to the zero rate of tax under the treaty for dividends. The protocol extends this exemption for dividends paid to individual retirement accounts, provided the competent authorities issue new guidance confirming the specific individual plans covered.
Accordingly, a U.S. resident investing in a Swiss company via their U.S. 401(k) plan would not be subject to Swiss withholding at source on any dividends paid, and with a new competent authority agreement this benefit may be extended to IRAs and ROTHs as well. This exemption from source country taxation would not be available if the pension plan controls the company paying the dividend.
In addition, the protocol with Spain added similar language with respect to dividends paid to a pension plan situated in the other country, and specifically identifies IRAs as eligible for relief. Accordingly, dividends paid to IRAs and Roth IRAs may be subject to a zero rate of withholding tax. Thus, for example a U.S. resident receiving a dividend from a Spanish company would be exempt from Spanish tax withholding whether the investment was held in a 401(k) or IRA/Roth IRA (unless such dividends are derived from the carrying on of a business, directly or indirectly, by the pension fund or through an associated enterprise).
The Spanish Protocol also adds a new paragraph to the pension article (Article 20). Here it is – Article X
Article 20 (Pensions, Annuities, Alimony, and Child Support) of the Convention shall be amended by adding a new paragraph:
“5. Where an individual who is a resident of one of the Contracting States is a member or beneficiary of, or participant in, a pension fund that is a resident of the other Contracting State, income earned by the pension fund may be taxed as income of that individual only when, and, subject to the provisions of 16 subparagraph (a) of paragraph 1 of Article 20 (Pensions, Annuities, Alimony and Child Support), to the extent that, it is paid to, or for the benefit of, that individual from the pension fund (and not transferred to another pension fund in that other Contracting State).”
It provides for a resident country tax exemption with respect to the earnings accumulating in a pension fund established in the other country, until such time as a distribution is made from the pension fund. Thus, for example, if a U.S. citizen contributes to a U.S. qualified plan while working in the U.S. and then establishes residence in Spain, the added paragraph prevents Spain from currently taxing the plan’s earnings with respect to that individual. Subsequent distributions from the plan would taxable by the U.S. citizen’s country of residence at the time of the distribution. It should be noted that the treaty does not contain language exempting contributions from tax.
It is interesting that the protocols with Japan and Luxemburg contain no related provisions regarding pensions.
Definition of Pensions in Spain
There are only a handful of U.S. treaties that include an article addressing cross-border pensions, and even fewer with comprehensive language covering multiple scenarios where coverage might be needed, such as the treaties with Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.
The aforementioned Protocol was signed January 2013, and entered into force on November 27, 2019, and applies to withholding taxes on amounts paid or credited on or after that date.
The question is: Is IRA considered a pension income, an annuity income or a withdrawal of savings?
To answer this, we need to discuss Spain. Spain has three asset-related filings that you are supposed to do every year. The ETE (which is only for people with more than a certain threshold abroad), the modulo 720 and wealth tax.
The wealth tax and Modulo 720 are filed annually: the 720 is just informational, but with huge penalties, and the wealth tax might actually make you pay something. The 720 is designed to be a superset of the wealth tax, so if you file a 720 and later file wealth tax with smaller numbers, you will probably get a letter from the tax department.
Pension plans do not ORDINARILY have to be declared in the declaration of assets abroad; But what foreign products can be considered pension plans?
The problem arises because many times colloquially we refer to any provision financial product (for old-age retirement …) as a pension plan. But it is important to emphasize what requirements a pension product must have so that according to Spanish regulations, it does not have to be declared in the 720 form, since it is considered a pension plan.
The regulations on pension plans are included in the revised text of the Law on the Regulation of Pension Plans and Funds, Royal Legislative Decree 1/2002.
Article 1. Nature of pension plans.
Pension plans define the right of the people in whose favor they are constituted to receive income or capital for retirement, survival, widowhood, orphanhood or disability, the obligations to contribute to them and, to the extent permitted by this Law, the rules of constitution and operation of the patrimony that the fulfillment of the rights recognized must be affected.
The plan represents a right of the participant or beneficiary, to receive income or capital, when there is a contingency of retirement, survival, widowhood, orphanhood or disability.
In order for us to consider a foreign financial product as a pension plan and not have to declare it in 720, the following requirements must be met:
1. That the contributions are unavailable until a contingency covered by the plan or pension product occurs.
• The contingencies covered can only be: retirement, survival, widowhood, orphanhood or disability.
• That once the contingency has occurred it has not been redeemed (once it is redeemed, the income or capital redeemed must be declared)
Examples:
401 (K) plans in the United States are pension plans: they do NOT have to be declared. Nor, the “deductible IRA (Individual Retirement Account).
The British ISA (individual savings account) are not pension plans because they can be rescued in cases not provided for pension plans and therefore whether to declare. The most similar product that we have in Spain are the PIAS, whose benefits are exempt, just like the ISAs.
The British QRPPS Qualifying Recognized Overseas Pension Scheme, is a fund to which the rights of a pension plan can be transferred, designed for the case of UK residents who move abroad. Therefore, it is still considered a pension plan. For the purposes of 720 it is not declared. And for IRPF purposes, it is considered regular income as it is redeemed. The SIPP British Self-invested personal pension. They are pension plans themselves, they do not require to be declared in 720. The Canadian RRSP (Registered Retirement Savings Plan). Contributions are deducted from the tax base and benefits are treated as income. It covers contingencies of retirement, widowhood and orphanhood. It should be treated as a pension plan and not declare it in 720. Once the contingency has happened and the contributions are withdrawn, the income is taxable. The consensus seems to be that Traditional IRA and 401ks qualify under these assumptions (although technically IRAs and 401ks can be redeemed with a tax penalty, this gets glossed over). Roth 401ks would be trickier since they are not taxable when withdrawn. ROTHs are obviously not taxable in the US upon distribution. Therefore, there is a strong argument for them to be declared on foreign wealth declarations. As you can see, these rules are highly nuanced, so working with dual qualified tax teams is a must
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Distributions from Private US Pensions by Spain Tax Residents
In Spain, Spanish law obviously applies. For funds within an IRA? When there is a distribution, you are taxed in the USA (ignore ROTHs for now). But in Spain you will pay for the profits within the fund. In other words, you would need to bifurcate the contributions from the return on this capital invested. Not only that, you would only need to match sales (assuming equity positions needed to be liquidated to facilitate withdrawals) and distributions within the present tax year so that only these gains are taxed at the appropriate tax rates in Spain (between 19% and 45%).
So in summary, you would ordinarily still include the IRA distributions (from PRIVATE PENSIONS) as taxable income in Spain. Given that are Spanish income, you may be able to apply any excess foreign tax credits against taxes due to the IRS. So from a tax planning perspective, there may be an opportunity to
1. Offset taxes paid in Spain against what is due in the US
2. But keep in mind that there are generally two (2) different baskets of foreign tax credits and they cannot be mixed.
3. Foreign tax credits are only useful if you have foreign (non US) income which is taxable in the US
4. If a taxpayer only has US source income, there may be an opportunity to take a treaty position on form 8833 to re-categorize US income as foreign income
What do we mean by taking a treaty position? The United States is a party to tax treaties designed to prevent double taxation of the same income by the United States and the treaty country. Certain treaties allow a U.S. citizen an additional credit for part of the tax imposed by the treaty partner on U.S. source income. It is separate from, and in addition to, your foreign tax credit for foreign taxes paid or accrued on foreign source income.
The treaties that provide for this additional credit include those with Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
If a sourcing rule in an applicable income tax treaty treats U.S. source income as foreign source, and you elect to apply the treaty, you can include that income under the category Certain Income Re-sourced By Treaty. Treat the income as foreign source to the extent required in the treaty. You must compute a separate foreign tax credit limitation for any such income for which you claim benefits under a treaty, using a separate Form 1116, Foreign Tax Credit, for each amount of resourced income from a treaty country. See Internal Revenue Code sections 865(h), 904(d)(6), and 904(h)(10) and the regulations under those sections (including Regulation section 1.904-5(m)(7)) for any grouping rules and exceptions.
You may have to report certain information with your return if you claim a foreign tax credit under a treaty provision. For example, if a treaty provision allows you to take a foreign tax credit for a specific tax that is not allowed by the Internal Revenue Code, you must report this information with your return. To report the necessary information, use Form 8833, Treaty-Based Return Position Disclosure Under Section 6114 or 7701(b).
If you do not report this information, you may have to pay a penalty of $1,000.
In addition to your regular income tax, you may be liable for the alternative minimum tax. You may be able to claim a foreign tax credit for this tax. However, there are restrictions on how much foreign tax credit taxpayers can apply to the alternative minimum tax. You must prepare separate Forms 1116 to compute the foreign tax credit and foreign tax credit limitation for alternative minimum tax purposes. Refer to Form 6251, Alternative Minimum Tax-Individuals, and its instructions for a discussion of the alternative minimum tax foreign tax credit.
Here’s a link to our partner firm through the Fusion network – https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1I51eJyVHKkFcP_lKML9z3n5khj4N1VPR?usp=sharing
Things to Know About Taxes in Spain for Expats
If you’re a citizen or permanent resident of the US, you must file a US tax return each year, no matter what country you happen to live in at the time. While the US taxes the international income of all citizens and permanent residents who live overseas, fortunately, it does provide several provisions to help protect you from double taxation on your US tax for expats. These include:
- The Foreign Earned Income Exclusion, which allows you to exclude up to $105,900 of foreign earned income from your 2019 US taxes and $107,600 from your 2020 US taxes,
- The Foreign Tax Credit, which allows you to offset the taxes you paid in your host country with your US expat taxes dollar for dollar, and
- The Foreign Housing Exclusion, which allows you to exclude certain household expenses that occur as a result of living abroad.
Note that in addition to your taxes in Spain for expats, you may also be required to file an informational return on your assets held in foreign financial accounts called a Foreign Bank Account Report (FBAR), otherwise known as FinCEN Form 114.
By planning ahead, you should be able to take advantage of the strategies above in order to minimize or eliminate your US tax obligation. To learn more about these tax savings and other tips, download a US expat tax guide.
Residency in Spain
In order to be considered a resident of Spain for tax purposes, you must meet the following requirements determined by Spanish domestic legislation:
- An individual is present in Spain for more than 183 days during a calendar year. If there are sporadic absences, the individual must prove that he or she is a tax resident elsewhere. (Note that temporary visits to Spain in order to comply with contractual obligations under cultural and humanitarian collaboration agreements with the Spanish authorities which are not remunerated are not included when calculating the 183-day residence period.)
- An individual has business or economic interests in Spain.
- An individual’s spouse and/or underage children are Spanish tax residents (unless another tax home is proven).
Expat Taxes in Spain: Current Rates
Non-residents are generally taxed at 24%. If you’re a tax resident of Spain, your worldwide income will be subject to personal income tax at a progressive rates, which vary by region. The highest rates in Spain peak at 49% in the Cataluñu and Andalucía regions. Each region will have slightly different rates. For instance, here are the rates for the residents of the Madrid region.
However, the different regions can alter the statutory rates, though Spain does impose property taxes at varying levels.
Capital Gains Tax in Spain
Up to 6,000 Euros, capital gains are taxed at 19%. Gains of 6,000 to 50,000 Euros and above are taxed at a rate of 21%. Gains of 50,000 and above are taxed at 23%. Gains for non-residents are taxed at 19%.
Spanish Tax Deductions and Credits
There are a number of deductions Spanish tax residents are eligible for, including:
- Tax credits for investments in principal residence
- Foreign tax credits
- Business activities
- Business savings accounts
- Maternity leave
Also, Spain taxes for expats offer a special tax regime for those who are on a temporary assignment in the country. In order to take advantage of it, you must meet specific requirements, but it allows expats the opportunity to opt-out of the progressive tax rate (flat rate of 24%), as well as avoid paying taxes on foreign sourced income.
Tax Treaty Between the US and Spain
There is a tax treaty in place between the US and Spain, which helps determine to which country different types of US tax for expats should be paid and at what point they should be paid. The purpose of the treaty is to ensure taxes are paid to the right country. Navigating the treaty on your own can be a bit complicated, so it’s a good idea to consult with an expat tax professional if you’re unsure of the requirements for your situation.
Tax Due Date in Spain
The tax year in Spain follows the same timeline as the US, from January 1 to December 31. Tax returns must be filed with the Agencia Tributaria between April 6 and June 30 of the year following the tax year. There are no extensions on filing tax returns in Spain. You have the option to pay all of your taxes when your tax return is due, or you can pay 60% then and complete the other 40% payment by the end of November.
How Social Security Works in Spain
As a foreign employee in Spain, you’ll be required to pay into social security unless you have a certificate of coverage through your home country that states you’re still making contributions. If you’re a resident of Spain, your mandatory contributions are tax-deductible, but that is not the case if you’re a non-resident.
There is a US – Spain Totalization Agreement in place, which helps explain which country should be paid social security based on residency status, duration of time spent in the US or Spain and whether or not you were hired by a US or Spanish company at home or abroad.
Taxation of Foreign Income in Spain
If you’re not a tax resident of Spain, you’ll only be taxed on your income from Spanish sources. If you’re a Spanish tax resident, you must report your worldwide income. However, up to 60,100 EUR of earned income for work performed outside of Spain can be excluded if certain conditions are met.
Other Taxes in Spain
There are a few other forms of taxation in Spain, aside from income taxes. These include:
- Value Added Tax (VAT) – This is a 21% tax applied to consumer goods, while the VAT on essential goods (such as food, water, medicine) is reduced to 10%. Some items are reduced even further, to 4%.
- Wealth Tax – This applies to assets above 700,000 EUR, with an additional 300,000 EUR allowed for a home. Inheritance tax will be dealt with on a regional level, and depends on where the taxable event took place.
- Property Tax – This will be identified based on the region and municipality in which you’re living. Motor vehicle taxes also will be assigned based on the city in which the vehicle is registered.
Overall, the Spanish tax system isn’t drastically different than that of the US, which may make the process less overwhelming for you as a US expat. In any event, it’s always a good idea to consult with an expat tax professional to discuss your specific US tax for expats situation.
Spanish Social Security
Foreign workers in Spain must pay taxes into the Spanish social security program unless they obtain a coverage certificate from their native country showing that they are continuing to make contributions to that system. For Spanish residents, their contributions can be deducted on their taxes. Non-residents cannot deduct contributions.
Spain and the United States do have a totalization agreement for social security. This agreement sets out which country a taxpayer should pay their social security taxes to, as determined by residency status, the amount of time the taxpayer spends in the United States or in Spain, along with whether the taxpayer was hired abroad or at home by either a Spanish or US company.
Does Spain Tax Foreign Income?
If you aren’t a Spanish tax resident, you only pay taxes on Spanish sourced income. But, Spanish residents must report all of their worldwide income. If certain requirements are met, up to EUR 60,100 can be excluded from income.
Spanish Taxes
Along with income taxes, there are also other kinds of taxes in Spain everyone should be knowledgeable of.
A value added tax (VAT) of 18% is imposed on consumer goods. The VAT is lowered to 8% for essential goods, such as water, food, and medicine. A few items are taxed using a rate of 4%.
Spain does not impose a wealth tax. Inheritance tax may be imposed in various regions, depending on the location of the event that triggered the tax.
Spain has property taxes, which depend on the municipality and region where the taxpayer lives. Cities impose a motor vehicle tax, which varies by city.
