If you own a property in Spain but your tax residence is in another country, the Spanish tax authority (Agencia Tributaria) treats you as a non-resident. That status comes with an annual obligation that catches many Nordic and international owners by surprise: the so-called imputed income tax (renta imputada). It does not matter whether the property is empty, used a few weeks a year, or never rented out — simply owning it triggers an annual tax liability.
What is imputed income?
Imputed income is a notional income calculated by the Spanish tax authority on urban properties at the owner’s disposal that are not the owner’s main residence. The reasoning is simple: if you own a property that is neither your principal home nor rented out, Spanish law presumes you derive a theoretical benefit from having it available — and that theoretical benefit is taxed.
For non-residents, imputed income is declared each year through Modelo 210, the non-resident income tax form (IRNR), regulated by Real Decreto Legislativo 5/2004 and Ley 35/2006.
How is it calculated?
The tax base is obtained by applying a percentage to the property’s cadastral value (valor catastral), which appears on your IBI bill:
- 1.1% if the cadastral value has been revised within the last ten years.
- 2% otherwise.
The IRNR tax rate is then applied to that base: 19% for residents of the EU, Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein, and 24% for all other non-residents.
A practical example
Imagine a Swedish citizen who owns an apartment in Alfaz del Pi. The market price was €200,000 and the cadastral value is €100,000, recently revised.
- Tax base: 1.1% × €100,000 = €1,100
- Tax payable: 19% × €1,100 = €209 per year
The amount is usually modest — typically between €150 and €300 per year for an average holiday home — but the obligation is mandatory and cumulative. Owners who fail to file for several years risk back-taxes, late-payment interest, and penalties.
Filing deadline
The Modelo 210 for imputed income must be filed between 1 January and 31 December of the year following the one to which the tax relates. In other words, imputed income for 2025 can be filed up to 31 December 2026.
Common misunderstandings
Many foreign owners are unaware of this obligation for years. When the Spanish tax office detects the omission, it may claim unpaid taxes for the last four tax years, plus interest and possible fines.
Other owners confuse imputed income with IBI (Impuesto sobre Bienes Inmuebles), the municipal property tax. These are two different taxes: IBI is paid to the town hall, while imputed income is paid to the State tax authority.
If you rent the property out for part of the year, you must also declare the rental income separately — imputed income only applies for the months when the property was not rented.
Free online calculator
To help you estimate your liability easily, Colás Abogados has built a free tool: imputed income tax calculator. You only need the property’s cadastral value and the date of the latest cadastral revision — both shown on your IBI receipt — to obtain an accurate figure in seconds.
Our recommendation
Although the amount is usually modest, it is wise to keep up to date. The Spanish tax office can claim unpaid amounts for the last four tax years. If you have never filed Modelo 210, the safest course is to regularise your situation voluntarily, which avoids penalties and allows for reduced surcharges. At our firm we file hundreds of non-resident tax returns every year. If you have any doubts or would prefer to delegate the process, we can handle the entire procedure for you.
Contact us
Email: info@colas-abogados.com
Phone: +34 629 549 430
Web: www.colas-abogados.com