There are two main taxes when you sell in Spain: the Capital Gain Tax, paid to the national tax office on your profit, and the Plusvalia, paid to your Town Hall on the increase in the value of the land. These are the general rules for individuals; particular cases vary.
CAPITAL GAIN TAX
1. How is the taxable gain calculated?
Patrimonial Gain = Value Transferred - Acquisition Value
Value Transferred is the price you sell for, minus the costs of the sale: agency fees with their VAT, the Plusvalia, and the cancellation of the mortgage if there was one.
Acquisition Value is the price you originally paid, plus the costs of that purchase: notary and land registry fees, and the Transfer Tax, or the VAT and Stamp Duty if it was a new build. You may also add any extension or substantial improvement, provided you hold the invoices. Ordinary repairs do not count, and without an invoice nothing counts.
2. When is it paid?
Residents, within their income tax return (IRPF), in June of the year following the sale. Non-residents, within four months of closing.
3. What are the rates in 2026?
For residents it is progressive and flat for non-residents (see attached table). The buyer must also withhold 3% of the price at the Notary as an advance on that tax. If the final bill is lower, the difference is refunded, normally within six to twelve months.
PLUSVALIA TAX
4. Who pays it, and when?
The seller, unless agreed otherwise, within 30 working days of the deed. There are two ways to calculate it and you may use whichever gives the lower result.
Direct estimation. Based on your real gain, applying the proportion the land represents within the cadastral value. Sell for less than you paid and the tax is zero, although you must still declare it.
Objective system. Cadastral value of the land x coefficient x municipal rate. The coefficient depends on the years of ownership; the rate is capped at 30%.
Worth knowing this year: the coefficients were raised in January 2026, but Parliament repealed the decree on 27 January and the previous ones apply again.
In short: what you take home depends not only on your asking price but also on the invoices you kept and the year you bought.
* As each case is different, this article is only a brief note and deductions may also apply, it is highly recommended that you check your own details with your lawyer or tax advisor.
