School apps and portals: payments, statements and invoices (facturas)

Terms used

• Factura — A factura is a full invoice showing the seller's tax details, the buyer, the service and the amount, usable as proof for tax or an employer.
• IVA — IVA is Spain's value-added tax, a sales tax added to many goods and services.
• Comedor — The comedor is the school canteen, where children eat lunch.
• Cheque guardería — The cheque guardería is a nursery voucher offered by some employers as part of flexible pay.

Key rules

• Receipts: Keep school payment receipts for at least 4 years.
• Platform: Each school chooses its own app or portal, so ask which one it uses.
• Invoice: You can ask the school for a full factura instead of a simple receipt.
• Employer vouchers: Employers and voucher providers want a document naming your child, the school and the amount.
• Tax deductions: Any school-fee deduction comes from your region, not from national income tax.

Ask the school which platform it uses

Every school picks its own app or portal, so ask at enrolment which one it uses. Private schools usually run a commercial family app. Public schools often use their region's portal. You will use it for messages, grades, absences, permission slips and for seeing or paying fees, the canteen (comedor) and activities.

How you pay

Most schools collect by direct debit from your Spanish bank account. Some take card payments in the app or by bank transfer. Public schools often collect through the school's bank account or the regional portal. Ask which method applies before the first payment, so you can have a Spanish bank account ready if the school needs one.

Statements and receipts

The portal normally shows what you have been charged and what you have paid. After each payment, download or save the receipt. If the portal does not show receipts, ask the school office to send them.

Keep every receipt for at least 4 years. If you use a receipt to claim a tax deduction, keep it for 4 years from the tax return it supports.

Getting a full invoice (factura)

A simple receipt is usually enough for ordinary payments. But if you need proof for tax or for your employer, you can ask the school for a full factura, and it must issue one on request. This applies even where teaching fees carry no IVA. Public schools may only give receipts and charge few fees.

Some extras that are not teaching, such as uniforms, some activities or a commercially run canteen, may carry IVA and follow normal invoice rules. Ask the school how each extra is billed.

Employer nursery vouchers

If your employer offers flexible pay, such as the nursery voucher (cheque guardería), the provider will want an invoice or official payment document. It should name your child, the school and the amount. For nursery vouchers it should also show the school's tax ID and its authorisation as an early-childhood centre. Each employer or voucher provider sets its own paperwork, so ask them what they accept before you pay.

Tax deductions

There is no general national deduction for school fees. Some regions offer their own income tax deductions for school fees, books, languages or uniforms, often with income limits. They change each year. Look at your region's tax authority guide for the current year.

The documents, checklist and questions below cover the rest.

Documents you need

• School payment receipts, issued by the school or shown in its portal, kept for as long as the rule on keeping receipts says.

• A full invoice (factura) from the school, if you need proof for tax or for your employer. Ask the school to issue it.

• For a nursery voucher or other flexible-pay scheme: an invoice or official payment document naming your child, the school and the amount, showing the school's tax ID and its authorisation as an early-childhood centre.

Checklist

• Ask the school which platform or app it uses for payments, statements and messages.

• Check how the school collects fees: direct debit, card or bank transfer.

• Look up your region's tax authority guide to see whether school costs give you a deduction.

Frequently asked questions

Can I ask for a full invoice instead of a simple receipt?

Yes, you can ask a private or concertada school for a full invoice (factura), and it must issue one even though regular teaching is exempt from IVA, Spain's sales tax. A simple receipt is usually enough for ordinary payments. Ask for the invoice if you need it for tax or your employer.

Will my employer accept a school receipt for the nursery voucher (cheque guardería)?

Employers and voucher providers normally want an invoice or official payment document, not a plain receipt.

Do school fees reduce my Spanish income tax?

There is no general national deduction for school fees. Some regions set their own deductions, which can cover fees, books, languages or uniforms, usually with income limits. Look in your region's annual income-tax guide from its tax authority.

Does every school use the same app for payments?

No, each school picks its own platform, and public schools often use a regional portal. Ask the school which app it uses and whether fees are paid by direct debit, card or bank transfer.