Should I gift my Spanish property to my children during my lifetime?

If you gift Spanish property to your children, there are various things that one needs to think about. As non tax resident of Spain , regardless of whether you sell or gift your property, you will need to account for 19% Spanish Capital Gains tax (known in Spain as IIP). A capital gain is calculated by […]

Property purchase and military authorizations in the Canary Islands

Vera Liprandi, Partner at the Tenerife office of De Cotta Law Since 1st January 2021 British citizens who wish to buy or inherit rustic land in the Canary Islands must obtain a military authorization, in accordance with an old law applicable to non-EU citizens and companies. This regulation affects more than 1,500 municipal areas in […]

IMPORTANT CHANGES TO REGULATIONS FOR HOLIDAY RENTALS IN SPAIN

In 2025, Spain introduced important changes in its regulations regarding holiday rentals. The aim is to reconcile the boom in the tourism sector with the rights of residents and their right to access to housing.  These changes affect homeowners as well as rental platforms and Communities of owners throughout Spain and the Islands. The first […]

Finding lost relatives – Heirs to Spanish property

As a law firm serving the international community in Spain, we are often approached by ‘heir-hunters’ or companies who specialise in tracing lost relatives. Over the last 30 or more years of immigration, residence and property purchase by British nationals many properties have been purchased. In some cases these people have lost contact with their […]

90 in 180 days – is it really that bad?

Since I joined De Cotta Law in 2021, I have spoken to lots of clients about the ‘90 in 180 day rule’. Many Brits claim that this is unduly restrictive, with some of them even deciding to sell their second homes in Spain because of it. Post ‘Brexit’, a British national can only spend 90 […]

More good reasons to buy property in Andalucia & the Canary Islands

The regional government of Andalucia has just approved a Decree removing Wealth tax which was payable by those individuals with assets of 700.000€ (non-residents for Spanish assets) or 1.000.000€ for residents on their worldwide estate. This would be attractive to those who are considering buying Andalucian property and possibly taking up residency with one of […]

Aggiornamento Plusvalía

L’8 novembre 2021 il Governo spagnolo ha approvato un regio decreto legge che ha adeguato l’imposta municipale sull’incremento del valore dei terreni urbani (“Plusvalía”) alla sentenza della Corte Costituzionale del 26 ottobre che aveva dichiarato nullo il sistema di calcolo. Il nuovo sistema consente ai contribuenti di scegliere tra due modalità di calcolo quella che […]

Major changes to Spanish Town Hall taxes on sales and inheritance – plus valia

Making the property market even more interesting in Spain is a major change to the local taxes normally payable by vendors or inheritors of property – the plus valia – or local capital gains improvement tax.  The varying rates charged by different municipalities, particularly when there could be a very large variation between two neighbouring […]

Brexit e terreni “rustici”

Canary Islands rustic land

Dall’1 gennaio 2021 i cittadini britannici che desiderano acquistare un terreno “rustico” nelle Isole Canarie devono ottenere un’autorizzazione militare, questa è richiesta anche per alcuni immobili “urbani” secondo la Legge 8/1975 ed il Regio Decreto 689/1978 di esecuzione di questa legge che regola le zone e strutture di interesse per la Difesa Nazionale in Spagna. […]

Commercial property rentals – Update

The Royal Decree-Law 35/2020 has established the possibility for small and medium-sized enterprises and self-employed workers in Spain to request a rent deferral or a 50% rent reduction before 31/01/2021, if no agreement has been reached between the parties and the owner of the premises is a “large owner” as defined by the law. In […]

Buone notizie per i proprietari di una seconda casa in Spagna

Il 17 settembre il Segretariato di Stato per la Sicurezza ha pubblicato un nuovo Protocollo per gestire i casi di occupanti abusivi di immobili in Spagna. Il Protocollo ha stabilito un importante cambiamento nell’applicazione della legge: in passato la situazione era diversa se la casa occupata era l’abitazione principale o una seconda casa del proprietario […]