The Taxes You Pay When Buying in Spain

The whole subject reduces to one sentence: resale properties generally pay a regional transfer tax (ITP); a first-delivery new home subject to VAT generally pays IVA (IGIC in the Canaries) plus stamp duty (AJD); and where you buy decides the regional part. Everything else on this page is that sentence, made usable — including the detail most guides skip: not every percentage works the same way.

The one distinction that matters

Buying resale? You pay ITP (Impuesto sobre Transmisiones Patrimoniales) — a percentage set by the autonomous community where the property sits. Buying a first-delivery new home subject to VAT? You normally pay IVA at 10% of the price (7% IGIC in the Canary Islands) plus AJD, the stamp duty on the notarised deed — and AJD is the regional variable in your case. That's the fork. Which side you're on changes which column of the table below is yours — and the honest comparison between the two purchase types is its own decision: new build or resale?.

How to read the rates (three ways a percentage can work)

Spain's regions don't just choose different numbers — they choose different systems, and the system changes the arithmetic:

• One rate (flat) — the same percentage whatever the price.
• Your price picks the rate (threshold) — the property's value selects a single rate that applies to the whole amount.
• Charged in slices (marginal) — like income tax: each band of the price pays its own rate. Two properties at the same price can produce meaningfully different tax bills under different systems — which is why the table names the system, not just the number.

The regional ITP table (resale) — and AJD (new build)

Table 1

Source: each community's general ITP and AJD rates as published by its own official regional tax authority and its consolidated regional tax legislation — including Ley 5/2025 (BOE-A-2025-11959) with the consolidated Ley 13/1997 for the Comunitat Valenciana, Decreto-ley 5/2025 for Cataluña and Ley 8/2013 for Castilla-La Mancha; Canary Islands new build pays IGIC, not IVA. Verified August 2026.

General rates as of August 2026, verified against each community's official schedule or legislation. Reduced rates exist in most communities for qualifying buyers and homes — your lawyer confirms what applies to you.

Foral territories — different rules by design

Navarra and the three Basque territories (Álava, Bizkaia, Gipuzkoa) run their own tax systems, and the key practical difference is that housing is often treated differently from other real estate: in Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa, an ordinary home purchase is generally taxed at 4%, while other property pays 7%; Álava applies 7% to immovables generally, with housing-specific treatment on top; Navarra's general rate is 6%. AJD in all four is 0.5%. Qualifying homes can pay less again. If you're buying in a foral territory, treat these as the starting point and have the specific rate confirmed for your purchase — the housing rules are exactly where generic tables mislead. (As of August 2026.)

One caution before you do any maths

The percentages above apply to the taxable base — which isn't automatically the price you agreed. Under the current national framework, the cadastral reference value can determine the base for ITP instead. Most of the time the difference is manageable; occasionally it changes the bill materially. That's a check, not a worry — and it's your lawyer's check.

The taxes after you own

Different subject, one honest paragraph: ownership brings its own recurring taxes — IBI (the local property tax), potential non-resident income tax on Spanish property, and community obligations — and selling has the seller-side taxes. The specialist treatment of ownership and non-resident taxation is PLS territory.

Terms your lawyer will use

One line each, because recognising them is useful and mastering them is your lawyer's job — all detail → PLS: Valor de referencia — the cadastral reference value that can set your taxable base. Autoliquidación (Modelo 600) — the self-assessed filing through which purchase tax is actually paid. Devengo — the date the tax legally arises, which fixes which rules apply. Tipo reducido — a reduced rate you may qualify for; worth one question, never an assumption. Plusvalía municipal — a municipal tax connected with increases in urban land value; in an ordinary sale the seller is generally the taxpayer. Your lawyer confirms the position for the transaction.

Frequently asked questions

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