Money
Do Expats Have to File a Tax Return in Spain?
Your first Declaración de la Renta can feel daunting. Here’s how the Spanish tax return works for expats, and the mistakes to avoid.
By
How to Live in Spain
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2 min read
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If you’re tax resident in Spain, you file an annual income tax return, the Declaración de la Renta, between early April and 30 June for the previous year. In 2026, the 2025 return ran from 8 April to 30 June.
Do you have to file?
Autónomos always file. Employees file above set income limits, and most expats with foreign income need to file too. You’ll need Cl@ve or a digital certificate to see your tax data, and a reference number, available from mid-March, to use Renta WEB.
Don’t trust the draft blindly
Hacienda prepares a draft return, but it won’t include most of your foreign income. Add salaries, pensions, rent, dividends and interest from abroad, then claim the double taxation deduction for tax you’ve already paid there. Check your region’s deductions for things like rent, childcare and donations, and if you’re married, compare joint and individual filing.
Deadlines
File by 30 June, or by 25 June if you owe tax and want to pay by direct debit. Separately, if you hold more than €50,000 in assets outside Spain, form 720 is due by 31 March.
Work through your return with our Spanish tax return checklist.
File between early April and 30 June
Hacienda’s draft misses most foreign income
Claim relief for tax paid abroad
Couples can compare joint and individual filing
File form 720 by 31 March if needed
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