An error when entering quarterly sales in an OSS VAT return filed in Spain can result in a tax assessment for thousands of euros. The problem becomes particularly serious when the Spanish Tax Agency does not dispute that you reported an error, but argues that you have not provided enough evidence to establish the correct…
Continue reading OSS VAT return error in Spain: how to prove it and appeal the tax assessment
If you live in Ireland and Hacienda has sent you a Spanish IRPF sanción because it says you were tax resident in Spain, do not treat the letter as a simple “you forgot to declare income” problem. The real issue may be more technical: whether you were genuinely residente fiscal en España, how the CDI…
Continue reading Spanish IRPF penalty for Irish tax residents: how to appeal a sanción from Hacienda
You sold your main home in Spain. You’re under Ley Beckham. You reinvest into another home. And still… you get that uncomfortable feeling: “this should be exempt… but nobody will say it clearly.” I get it. This is not about “optimising”. This is about sleeping at night. One key legal idea drives the whole strategy…
You receive a TEAR resolution. You are outside Spain. You try to access the expediente to understand what the hell happened… and you can’t. And even so, they dismiss your claim. This is not “bad luck”. This smells like indefensión. Quick question:how are you supposed to appeal if they don’t let you see the expediente?…
Continue reading TEAR Annulment Appeal Spain: No Access to Expediente
You live in the UK. You open a notification from Spain’s tax agency (AEAT). And, out of nowhere, they ask you to pay old debts your father allegedly owed in Spain. Sound familiar? The shock is very real… and so is the risk of getting it wrong. The hammer question:what if the Tax Office is…
If you’re a foreign national in Spain—maybe you own a property on the Costa del Sol, manage a business in Barcelona, or simply maintain a Spanish bank account—you might be unfamiliar with how Spanish tax authorities operate. Yet at any moment, you could receive a notificación de inspección from Hacienda (the colloquial name for the…
Continue reading What Is a Hacienda Inspection and How Can It Affect You as a Foreigner?
If you’ve just received a notice about an inspección fiscal from Hacienda, and you’re not entirely sure how the Spanish tax system works, take a deep breath. You’re not alone. Many foreigners in Spain—whether they run a small business, work as autónomos, or manage property—are initially taken aback by the formal letters, strict deadlines, and…
Continue reading Facing a Spanish Tax Audit and Don’t Understand the System?
If you were expecting to receive a Spanish tax refund—perhaps from an IRPF return (devolución IRPF) or a VAT reimbursement (devolución IVA)—and suddenly discovered that Hacienda withheld it to cover an older deuda tributaria, you might be feeling alarmed and confused. This situation is more common than many think, especially for foreigners who once lived…
Continue reading Why Did Hacienda Withhold Your Tax Refund in Spain?
If you’ve moved away from Spain and suddenly receive a letter in your mailbox marked “Hacienda” or “AEAT,” it can be unsettling. Many people assume that once they leave the country, they’re no longer obligated to address Spanish tax issues. However, the Agencia Estatal de Administración Tributaria (AEAT) can still send a notificación AEAT or…
Continue reading Spanish Tax Notices While Abroad: Key Steps You Need to Take
When you become involved in a Spanish company—whether as a partner (socio) or an administrator (administrador)—you naturally focus on strategic growth and everyday operations. The last thing on your mind is receiving a letter from Hacienda (the Spanish Tax Authority) years later, demanding you pay the company’s outstanding debts. Yet, this scenario happens more often…
Continue reading Tax Liability in Spain: What Foreign Directors and Partners Should Know
When thinking about doing business or earning income in Spain, most foreigners focus on corporate structures, income tax, or property regulations. However, one aspect that frequently catches non-residents off guard is the Impuesto sobre el Valor Añadido (IVA), also known as the Value Added Tax (VAT). Whether you operate as a freelancer (autónomo) abroad, run…
Continue reading Problems with IVA in Spain for Non-Residents | Key VAT Insights and Penalties
When you hold property, income, or run a business in Spain, you may be subject to Hacienda (the Spanish Tax Authority) rules—even if you are a foreigner or non-resident. Unfortunately, many people discover this only when they receive a multa (fine) or sanción tributaria (tax penalty) from Hacienda. This situation can be both unexpected and…
Continue reading Multas y Sanciones de Hacienda for Foreigners: How to Handle Spanish Tax Penalties
Foreign residents and non-residents with assets in Spain often find themselves asking: “¿Por qué Hacienda ha embargado mi cuenta bancaria?” (Why has the Spanish Tax Authority blocked my bank account?). If you’ve just discovered an embargo (tax seizure) in your Spanish account or received a requerimiento (tax request) from the AEAT (Tax Authority), this article…
There are many situations in which you might wonder “qué año fiscal prescribe” (which fiscal year becomes time-barred). In general, “el año fiscal que prescribe” in 2024 (the fiscal year that becomes time-barred in 2024) can be 2019 or 2020, depending on the tax return deadline and provided there is no interruption of “la prescripción”…
Continue reading Understanding Tax Prescription Deadlines in Spain
And now that you have submitted the «alegaciones» (statement of objections), how much time does «Hacienda» (Spanish Tax Authority) have to «contestar las alegaciones» (reply to your statement of objections)? When you file alegaciones with «Hacienda», you want the Agencia Tributaria (Spanish Tax Agency) to respond. It’s natural. Everyone, when we ask a question, wants…
Continue reading Six months? How long does the Hacienda have to respond to the alegaciones?
You have received a «requerimiento» (Spanish Tax Agency request) from «Hacienda» (Tax Agency in Spain) and are given 10 business days to respond, but you don’t have enough time to gather all the invoices. You need a bit of leeway and want to request an extension of the deadline «solicitar una ampliación del plazo» in…
Continue reading How to request an extension to respond to a Hacienda requerimiento.