Live and Invest Overseas
The Best Places To Retire In 2025 Report
FREE REPORT: THE BEST PLACES TO RETIRE IN 2025
We Value Your Privacy! We will not share your email address with anyone else, period.
  • Home
  • Countries

    Top Destinations:

    Whether you’re looking for fun and sun, a peaceful retirement, or the chance to earn some extra income, you’ve got a real world of opportunity open to you… In short, we’ve done our best to narrow down your best options, but only you can decide the right country for you.

    • Spain
    • Portugal
    • Panama
    • Belize
    • Colombia
    • Cyprus
    • Mexico
    • France
    • Montenegro
    • Browse All Countries

    Best For:

    • The Best Places To Retire
    • Health Care Abroad
    • Cost Of Living
    • Investing in Real Estate
    • Establishing Residency
    • Gun Laws In The World
    • English-Speaking Countries
    • Safest Places For Retirement
    • Best Places In Latin America
  • Budgets

    How Much Will It Cost You To Live Overseas?

    The only honest answer is, we have no idea. And neither does anyone else. The only one who can answer that question is you. Here’s the most important thing to understand about budgeting your new life overseas…

    Super Cheap

    • Chitré, Panama
    • Santa Marta, Colombia
    • Phuket, Thailand
    • Dumaguete, The Philippines

    Cheap

    • Medellin, Colombia
    • Boquete, Panama
    • Kyrenia, Cyprus
    • Hua Hin, Thailand
    • The Algarve, Portugal

    Affordable

    • Valencia, Spain
    • Cascais, Portugal
    • Las Terrenas, The DR
    • Pisa, Italy
    • La Rochelle, France
    • Mazatlán, Mexico

    Luxury

    • Ambergris Caye, Belize
    • Kotor, Montenegro
    • The Panama City Beaches
    • Paris, France
  • Resources

    Global Living

    • Living & Retiring Overseas
    • Raising A Family Abroad
    • Foreign Residency & Citizenship
    • Offshore & Diversification

    Making Money

    • International Real Estate
    • Banking
    • Employment
    • Investing

    Follow Us:

    • Meet Our Experts
  • Real Estate

    Buying Real Estate For Cashflow

    • Discover tips and strategies used by global property investing veterans

    Explore Our Latest Posts

    • Learn how to invest and purchase property abroad…

    Go To The Overseas Property Alert Site

    • How To Become Independently Wealthy And Fund The Lifestyle Of Your Dreams
  • Conferences

    Upcoming Events

    • Explore Our Events Site

    Live and Invest In Spain Conference

    Offshore Wealth Summit

    Greece Workshop

    VALENCIA, SPAIN

    Sep. 17-19, 2025

    PANAMA CITY, PANAMA

    Oct. 15-17, 2025

    VIRTUAL

    Nov. 13, 2025

    Learn More About This Event
    Learn More About This Event
    PRE-REGISTER
    Learn More About This Event
    PRE-REGISTER
    • MORE EVENTS

    Contact Our Events Team

    Toll-Free U.S. and Canada:
    1 (888) 627 8834
    From Outside North America:
    1 (443) 599 1221
    Working Hours
    Monday – Friday 08:00 am – 17:00 pm EST.

    Reach us with your questions by email at: events@liveandinvestoverseas.com

  • Store

    Unlock The World

    • Access Your Library

    Overseas Havens Reports

    • Expats' comprehensive destination guides

    Conference Kits

    • Hours of coverage  from our latests conferences

    Lahardan Books

    • Titles on living and investing around the world
    • Explore Our Store
    Your passport to a life well-lived abroad

    Services

    overseas living letter offers affordable retirement guidance
    The Simon Letter Wealth Protection Insights
    Global Property Advisor Global Investment Opportunities

    Our Customer Service team is here to assist with any questions or concerns CustomerService@LiveandInvestOverseas.com

  • My Library
Live and Invest Overseas
  • Home
  • Countries

    Top Destinations:

    Whether you’re looking for fun and sun, a peaceful retirement, or the chance to earn some extra income, you’ve got a real world of opportunity open to you… In short, we’ve done our best to narrow down your best options, but only you can decide the right country for you.

    • Spain
    • Portugal
    • Panama
    • Belize
    • Colombia
    • Cyprus
    • Mexico
    • France
    • Montenegro
    • Browse All Countries

    Best For:

    • The Best Places To Retire
    • Health Care Abroad
    • Cost Of Living
    • Investing in Real Estate
    • Establishing Residency
    • Gun Laws In The World
    • English-Speaking Countries
    • Safest Places For Retirement
    • Best Places In Latin America
  • Budgets

    How Much Will It Cost You To Live Overseas?

    The only honest answer is, we have no idea. And neither does anyone else. The only one who can answer that question is you. Here’s the most important thing to understand about budgeting your new life overseas…

    Super Cheap

    • Chitré, Panama
    • Santa Marta, Colombia
    • Phuket, Thailand
    • Dumaguete, The Philippines

    Cheap

    • Medellin, Colombia
    • Boquete, Panama
    • Kyrenia, Cyprus
    • Hua Hin, Thailand
    • The Algarve, Portugal

    Affordable

    • Valencia, Spain
    • Cascais, Portugal
    • Las Terrenas, The DR
    • Pisa, Italy
    • La Rochelle, France
    • Mazatlán, Mexico

    Luxury

    • Ambergris Caye, Belize
    • Kotor, Montenegro
    • The Panama City Beaches
    • Paris, France
  • Resources

    Global Living

    • Living & Retiring Overseas
    • Raising A Family Abroad
    • Foreign Residency & Citizenship
    • Offshore & Diversification

    Making Money

    • International Real Estate
    • Banking
    • Employment
    • Investing

    Follow Us:

    • Meet Our Experts
  • Real Estate

    Buying Real Estate For Cashflow

    • Discover tips and strategies used by global property investing veterans

    Explore Our Latest Posts

    • Learn how to invest and purchase property abroad…

    Go To The Overseas Property Alert Site

    • How To Become Independently Wealthy And Fund The Lifestyle Of Your Dreams
  • Conferences

    Upcoming Events

    • Explore Our Events Site

    Live and Invest In Spain Conference

    Offshore Wealth Summit

    Greece Workshop

    VALENCIA, SPAIN

    Sep. 17-19, 2025

    PANAMA CITY, PANAMA

    Oct. 15-17, 2025

    VIRTUAL

    Nov. 13, 2025

    Learn More About This Event
    Learn More About This Event
    PRE-REGISTER
    Learn More About This Event
    PRE-REGISTER
    • MORE EVENTS

    Contact Our Events Team

    Toll-Free U.S. and Canada:
    1 (888) 627 8834
    From Outside North America:
    1 (443) 599 1221
    Working Hours
    Monday – Friday 08:00 am – 17:00 pm EST.

    Reach us with your questions by email at: events@liveandinvestoverseas.com

  • Store

    Unlock The World

    • Access Your Library

    Overseas Havens Reports

    • Expats' comprehensive destination guides

    Conference Kits

    • Hours of coverage  from our latests conferences

    Lahardan Books

    • Titles on living and investing around the world
    • Explore Our Store
    Your passport to a life well-lived abroad

    Services

    overseas living letter offers affordable retirement guidance
    The Simon Letter Wealth Protection Insights
    Global Property Advisor Global Investment Opportunities

    Our Customer Service team is here to assist with any questions or concerns CustomerService@LiveandInvestOverseas.com

  • My Library
Live and Invest Overseas
 Moving Out Of The U.S?

THE 10 BEST PLACES TO RETIRE IN 2025

the 10 best places to retire in 2025

PLUS: A SPECIAL BONUS DESTINATION

Simply sign up to receive the FREE daily e-letter, Overseas Opportunity Letter, and we’ll immediately email you our editors’ latest research report… absolutely FREE

We Value Your Privacy! We will not share your email address with anyone else, period.

Home Countries Europe

My Favorite Country In Europe

by Lee Harrison
Sep 28, 2023
in Europe, Retirement/Living, Spain, Taxes
0 0
Port Of Soller in Majorca. taxes in spain

iStock/Juergen Sack

Spain is my favorite country in Europe, and it has a lot to offer investors and expats.

But for years, I resisted Spain because of the high taxes—especially its tax approach to potential rental income.

And there was some merit to that.

Taxes in Spain are a serious consideration if you’re thinking of moving here. Spain’s tax burden is about 9% higher than average among the OECD.

For a full breakdown of your tax picture in this country, join us for the Live And Invest In Spain Conference, taking place Nov. 15–17 in Valencia, Spain.

Taxes In Spain

By European standards, taxes in Spain are not bad:

· Spain is in 10th place with respect to its income tax rates (nine countries have higher tax rates).

· For overall tax burden, it’s in 14th place, with a greater tax burden in places like Germany, Greece, France, and Italy.

Spain also has a tax treaty with the United States, Canada, and the U.K. to prevent double taxation.

Here’s an overview of the top things to consider with regard to Spanish taxes, plus my advice for minimizing your tax burden.

Tax Residency

The term “tax resident” means that you’re subject to the tax regime in a given country.

You become a tax resident in Spain if you live in the country for more than 183 days per calendar year.

But that’s not all… there are a couple of other tax-residency triggers:

· Your principal business is in Spain,

· Your main residence is in Spain,

· Or your spouse or family live in Spain.

There are some upsides to being a Spanish tax resident: It entitles you to free health care in the excellent Spanish system, as well as special treatment for property taxes and inheritance tax.

Start Your New Life Overseas Today!
Sign up for our free daily e-letter, Overseas Opportunity Letter, and we'll send you a FREE report on the 10 Best Places To Retire In 2025.
We Value Your Privacy! We will not share your email address with anyone else, period.

Spanish Income Tax

Spain has 17 administrative units called autonomous communities (plus 2 autonomous cities: Ceuta and Melilla).

Income tax liability varies by autonomous community. They each have their own scheme of deductions, exclusions, and special allowances.

Overall, Spain’s income tax rate ends up being low by European and American standards…

Tax residents pay tax on their worldwide income and are taxed in accordance with brackets that run from 19% to a maximum of 47%. Tax rates are somewhat lower for income from interest, dividends, and annuities.

The average effective income tax rate paid by Spanish residents is 21.1%. This compares to 37.7% in Germany, 22.6% in the United States, and 10.2% in Mexico.

A number of exemptions and deductions are available, including personal exemptions, exemptions for children, and special exemptions for those over age 65… with even more if you’re over 75.

Pensions and Social Security paid to American citizens may be double-taxed. In this case, the tax firm Tax Partners (in Castellón) recommends that you use the American Foreign Tax Credit to recover the tax paid to Spain.

Non-tax residents pay tax only on their Spanish-sourced income. The standard rate is 24% for non-tax residents, with a 19% rate for residents of other EU countries.

Rental income is taxed at a rate of 24% of the gross income for non-EU residents. EU residents pay 19% of their net income after expenses.

Non-tax residents may not claim deductions or exemptions.

Spain’s Tax On Potential Rental Income

Spain taxes income that could have been earned on a property in Spain that is not rented and is not your primary residence. It applies to non-tax residents.

I’m not sure whether to cover this as a property tax or an income tax, because it’s defined under Spanish law as an income tax, but it works like a property tax based on your property’s municipal (assessed) value.

The tax falls under the Impuesto Renta No Residentes, or IRNR (non-resident rental income tax). And the tax is applied to the property’s rendimiento mínimo potencial (minimum earnings potential).

In other words, Spain is making up for the income tax they lose when you don’t rent your property.

The potential income is calculated by multiplying your property’s municipal value by 1.1% (or 2% if the property has not been reassessed in the past 10 years).

Then Spain taxes that potential income at a rate of 24% (19% for EU residents).

So for each 100,000 euros of municipal value, you have:

· Potential income of 1.1%: 1,100 euros,

· Tax owed at 24%: 264 euros (209 euros for EU residents).

At 264 euros per 100,000 euros of municipal value, I’d think of this as another property tax.

Start Your New Life Overseas Today!
Sign up for our free daily e-letter, Overseas Opportunity Letter, and we'll send you a FREE report on the 10 Best Places To Retire In 2025.
We Value Your Privacy! We will not share your email address with anyone else, period.

Property Tax

Property taxes are assessed by (and paid to) the local municipality, so rates and exclusions will vary.

Property tax is called Impuesto sobre Bienes Inmuebles or IBI, and it’s based on the assessed value of the property… also called municipal value or cadastral value.

As a general guideline, the rate should fall between 0.4% and 1.1% of the assessed value of an urban property.

Rural properties are between 0.3% and 0.9%. The actual number will be up to the municipality.

Capital Gains Tax

  • For non-tax residents, the national capital gains tax is applied at a rate of 19% based on the net gain after expenses.
  • For tax residents, the national capital gains rate is graduated, from 19% to 26%, also on the net gain.

As was once the case in the United States, the capital gains tax on the sale of your residence may be deferred if you buy another property that is also your residence.

Also, sellers over 65 years old do not have to pay capital gains tax on their residence, provided they lived there for three years or more.

A Plusvalía Tax (capital gains tax) will also be collected by the local municipality at the time of sale. This is generally based on the change in the property’s municipal value between the time of purchase and sale.

There are two calculation methods to pick from as of 2022, one of which will result in a lower Plusvalía Tax bill.

3 Tips To Minimize Your Tax Burden

1. Try to remain a non-tax resident if you’re not in Spain full-time. If you avoid tax residency as a retired expat, your move to Spain could be tax neutral, depending on which U.S. state you’re coming from.

2. Consult with a tax expert on Spanish taxes before you take up residence or buy a property. They’ll give you advice on how to reduce your tax burden, or at the very least tell you what to expect. This applies mostly to Americans, who, unlike other citizens, still have to pay taxes in the United States after they move abroad.

3. Prepare to restructure how you’re holding some of your assets—both in Spain and back home—in order to minimize your exposure to wealth and inheritance taxes. Again, a tax expert’s help will be invaluable.Sincerely,

Lee Harrison signature

Lee Harrison

Contributor, Global Property Advisor

Editor’s Note: There’s a lot to consider when it comes to making a lifestyle or investment play in Spain…

For access to Spanish tax experts who can help you make sense of Spain’s various tax regimes and give you practical advice tailored to your specific situation, join us for the Live And Invest In Spain Conference, Nov. 15–17.

The event is designed to help you decide if Spain could be the place for you and to give you the knowledge, support, and contacts necessary to make a move here with confidence.

Tags: ' Residency Overseas''Taxes For The American Abroad'expats in spain
Share83Tweet52
Lee Harrison

Lee Harrison

Lee has been living overseas for nearly two decades, making his first purchase abroad in the colonial city of Cuenca, Ecuador. After that first investment, he traveled extensively across Latin America and Europe looking for the best property deals possible. Lee’s network of property insiders from those travels, along with his understanding of local cultures and languages, has helped him develop insight into local property markets that only the locals usually possess.

Start Your New Life Overseas Today!
Sign up for our free daily e-letter, Overseas Opportunity Letter, and we'll send you a FREE report on The 10 Best Places To Retire In 2025.

We Value Your Privacy! We will not share your email address with anyone else, period.
Our Expertise Unlocks The World

quick links

  • Best Places To Live
  • Best Places To Retire
  • Finding A Job Overseas
  • Real Estate

LIOS Resources

  • New To LIOS
  • Ask An Expert
  • Media Center
  • Contact Us
  • FAQs
the 10 best places to retire in 2025
Sign up for our free daily e-letter, Overseas Opportunity Letter, and get your FREE REPORT: The 10 Best Places To Retire Overseas In 2025

We Value Your Privacy! We will not share your email address with anyone else, period.

As seen in

US Media Logos

© 2008 – Live and Invest Overseas™ – All Rights Reserved.

About Us / Contact Us / Privacy Policy / Terms / Unsubscribe
Facebook-f X-twitter Youtube Linkedin-in Instagram

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
HOME

Top Countries

  • Spain
  • Portugal
  • Panama
  • Belize
  • Colombia
  • Cyprus
  • Mexico
  • France
  • Montenegro

Best For:

  • Health Care Abroad
  • Retirement Living
  • Cost Of Living
  • Investing in Real Estate
  • Establishing Residency
  • Gun Ownership
  • English Speakers
  • Safety
BROWSE ALL COUNTRIES

Budgets

How Much Will It Cost
To Live Overseas?

Super Cheap

  • Chitré, Panama
  • Santa Marta, Colombia
  • Phuket, Thailand
  • Dumaguete, The Philippines

Cheap

  • Medellin, Colombia
  • Boquete, Panama
  • Kyrenia, Cyprus
  • Hua Hin, Thailand
  • The Algarve, Portugal

Affordable

  • Valencia, Spain
  • Cascais, Portugal
  • Las Terrenas, The DR
  • Pisa, Italy
  • La Rochelle, France
  • Mazatlán, Mexico

Luxury

  • Ambergris Caye, Belize
  • Kotor, Montenegro
  • The Panama City Beaches
  • Paris, France

Resources

Global Living

  • Living & Retiring Overseas
  • Raising A Family Abroad
  • Foreign Residency & Citizenship
  • Offshore & Diversification

Making Money

  • International Real Estate
  • Banking
  • Employment
  • Investing
Meet Our Experts

Real Estate

Overseas Property Alert 

 

How To Become Independently Wealthy And Fund The Lifestyle Of Your Dreams

VISIT SITE

Buying Real Estate For Cashflow

 

Discover tips and strategies used by global property investing veterans

READ MORE

Explore Our Latest Posts

 

Learn how to invest and purchase property abroad…

EXPLORE

Conferences

Live and Invest In Spain Conference

VALENCIA, SPAIN Sep. 17-19, 2025
Learn More About This Event

Offshore Wealth Summit

PANAMA CITY, PANAMA Oct. 15-17, 2025
Learn More About This Event
PRE-REGISTER

GREECE WORKSHOP

VIRTUAL Nov. 13, 2025
Learn More About This Event
PRE-REGISTER
MORE EVENTS

Contact Our Events Team:

Toll-Free U.S. and Canada:
1 (888) 627 8834

From Outside North America:
1 (443) 599 1221

Working Hours
Monday – Friday 08:00 am – 17:00 pm EST.

Reach us with your questions by email at: events@liveandinvestoverseas.com

Store

Overseas Havens Reports

  • Expats' comprehensive destination guides

Conference Kits

  • Hours of coverage  from our latests conferences

Lahardan Books

  • Titles on living and investing around the world

Services

  • Overseas Living Letter: Affordable Retirement Guidance
  • The Simon Letter: Wealth Protection Insights
  • Global Property Advisor: Global Investment Opportunitites
VISIT OUR STORE

Free Report

THE 10 BEST PLACES TO RETIRE IN 2025

FREE REPORT: The 10 Best Places To retire in 2025

Sign up to receive the FREE daily e-letter, Overseas Opportunity Letter and we’ll immediately email you our editors’ latest research report…

We Value Your Privacy! We will not share your email address with anyone else, period.

LIBRARY

Follow Us:

© 2008 - Live and Invest Overseas - All Rights Reserved.

RETIRE OVERSEAS AND LIVE LIKE ROYALTY

Sign up for FREE to learn how. Plus, check out our FREE report on THE 10 BEST PLACES TO RETIRE


We Value Your Privacy! We will not share your email address with anyone else, period.

RETIRE OVERSEAS AND LIVE LIKE ROYALTY

Sign up for FREE and learn how to live the good life on a modest budget, find bargain property, and more. Plus, check out our free report on the 10 BEST PLACES TO RETIRE.

We Value Your Privacy! We will not share your email address with anyone else, period.