Non-residents who have a property in Spain are taxable by the Spanish Non-Resident Income Tax. Even if the property has neither been rented nor sold, there is an imputed rent to have under consideration, which becomes chargeable on December 31st.
Here is a list of last legislative changes concerning this tax:
1. Natural
persons who are NON-RESIDENTS in Spain CAN OPT TO PAY INCOME TAX FOR RESIDENTS (instead of income tax
for non-residents): when they are residents in another EU country, Norway or Island AND their income in Spain within the year is less than 90% of the minimum personal and family
allowance that would have been applied to them if they had been residents
in Spain (provided that their income
abroad has also fulfilled this requirement). This might be particularly interesting for low-income earners.
2. Natural
persons who are NON-RESIDENTS in Spain can benefit from
REINVERSION ALLOWANCE provided that they are residents in another EU country, Norway or Island and that they fulfill the requirements stipulated at article No. 33 of Income Tax
Law for residents.
3. Natural persons who are NON-RESIDENTS in Spain can NO LONGER obtain an exemption of 1.500€ for DIVIDENDS.
4. Natural persons who are NON-RESIDENTS in Spain can now apply the REDUCING COEFFICIENTS of Income Tax for
residents, provided that they have a PERMANENT ESTABLISHMENT in Spain.
5. Natural persons who are NON-RESIDENTS in Spain can now obtain a TAX RETURN
DRAFT of their imputed income from the Spanish Inland Revenue.
6. TAX RATES of PERMANENT ESTABLISHMENTS are
determined by Corporation Tax Law.
7. TAX RATE of non-residents WITHOUT permanent
establishment has been reduced from 24% to 19% for citizens of the UE, Norway
and Island.
8. TAX RATE of entities in INCOME
ALLOCATION SYSTEM is 25%.
9. A Transferring money abroad by a PERMANENT
ESTABLISHMENT is taxed with an extra tax-rate of 19%.
10.
As
far as DEDUCTIBILITY OF EXPENSES is concerned, the law makes a distinction
between NATURAL PERSONS AND LEGAL PERSONS. Natural persons can deduct the
expenses which are deductible according to Income Tax legislation for residents;
legal persons can deduct the expenses which are deductible according to
Corporation Tax legislation.
11.
Current regulation now admits that the profits obtained by a permanent establishment in Spain which are distributed to the PARENT COMPANY (*) in another EU state can benefit from an
EXEMPTION (the same as if the profits had been distributed among Spanish companies belonging
to the same holding/group), provided that the existence of the PARENT COMPANY was due to VALID REASONS.
(*) Parent company is the one who OWNS AT LEAST 5% of the capital of another company (directly or indirectly) or the one which OWNS SHARES WITH A TOTAL VALUE OF MORE THAN 20.000.000€.