How Spain taxes each type of income you have

Key rules

• Worldwide income: As a Spanish tax resident, you are taxed on income from anywhere in the world.
• General base: Salary, pensions, rent and business income go in the general base, taxed at progressive rates.
• Savings base: Dividends, interest and gains from selling investments or crypto go in the savings base, at lower rates.
• Foreign tax: Tax you paid abroad on the same income is credited in Spain, up to the Spanish tax due on it.

The short version

If you are a Spanish tax resident, Spain taxes your worldwide income, wherever you earn it. Every type of income goes into one of two buckets: the general base or the savings base. The bucket decides the rate. The decision box below helps you place a given income.

If you are not a Spanish tax resident, you are taxed only on income from Spanish sources, under a separate non-resident tax. This page is about residents.

The two bases

General base (progressive rates, higher):

• Salary and other work income
• Pensions
• Rent from property
• Self-employed and business income
• Other income that is not in the savings base, such as prizes

Savings base (lower rates):

• Dividends and interest
• Income from funds and insurance
• Gains from selling shares, funds, property or crypto

Rates in the general base

Income is taxed in slices. The state and your region each apply a scale, and the two add up. The 2025 state scale was:

Most regions set their own scale on top of this. Where a region sets none, a standard scale with the same slices applies. The combined top rate is 47% by default. Your region's tax department publishes its scale, and the national tax agency (AEAT) publishes regional details each year with its income tax guide.

Rates in the savings base

For 2025 the combined rates were:

Regions generally apply the same scale, so this barely changes from place to place.

Each type of income

Salary earned abroad. It is work income in the general base. Up to €60,100 a year can be exempt if the work is physically done abroad for a foreign employer or a foreign branch, and the country taxes similar income. It does not apply to public officials. You must claim it on your return.

Foreign pensions. They are work income in the general base. The tax treaty between Spain and the paying country decides who may tax. Private pensions are usually taxed only where you live, which is Spain. Government service pensions are usually taxed only by the paying country. If the other country also taxes, Spain gives a credit for that tax.

Rent from property abroad. It is property income in the general base, declared with your worldwide income. For EU and EEA properties you can deduct expenses allowed under Spanish rules, and a 60% reduction for long-term home lets may apply if its conditions are met. For other countries, deductions are more limited. Tax paid abroad is credited, up to the Spanish tax due on that income.

Foreign investments. Dividends, interest and gains from selling shares or funds go in the savings base. Switching between foreign funds is taxable, because the Spanish tax-free switch between funds does not apply to them. Foreign tax withheld on the income can be credited. Foreign accounts or securities worth over €50,000 must be reported on Modelo 720.

Crypto. Gains from selling or swapping crypto go in the savings base. Swapping one coin for another is a taxable sale at market value. For identical units, the first bought is treated as the first sold. Losses offset gains of the same type, with limits. Crypto held abroad worth over €50,000 must be reported on Modelo 721.

Tax already paid abroad

You still declare income that was taxed abroad. Spain then gives a credit for the foreign tax, and treaties can limit who taxes what. The quick answers below cover this and exchange rates.

Choosing between options

Which tax base does your income go into?

Does this income go into the general base or the savings base?

• General base: Use it for salary, pensions, rental income from property, income from a business or freelance activity, imputed income such as the value assigned to a second home, and one-off gains not from selling an asset, such as prizes.

• Savings base: Use it for dividends, interest, income from funds and insurance, income from lending your own capital to others, and gains or losses from selling assets such as shares, funds, property or crypto.

As a Spanish resident you are taxed on worldwide income, wherever it comes from. Ask whether the money is earned from work, property rental or activity (general base), or comes from investments or from selling an asset (savings base). The base decides which scale of rates applies.

Quick answers on tax for money and income you bring to Spain

Is moving my own savings into Spain taxable?

No, moving your own savings into Spain is not taxable income, because a transfer of your own capital is not a taxable event. The risk comes if money or assets are unexplained, since Spain can treat them as an unjustified gain taxed at your general rates. Keep bank statements, sale deeds and past tax returns to show where the money came from.

Do I still declare income in Spain if it was already taxed abroad?

Yes, if you are a Spanish tax resident you declare your worldwide income in Spain even when it was already taxed abroad. Double tax is then relieved through a credit for the foreign tax or through a tax treaty.

Which exchange rate do I use to convert foreign amounts to euros?

Use the rate on the date the income arose or the transaction took place, normally the European Central Bank reference rate. For investments, use the rate on each purchase or sale date, and for foreign tax paid, the rate on the payment or withholding date. Year-end asset reports may use year-end rates instead.

Do I have to declare cash I carry into Spain?

Yes, you must declare cash at the border if you carry more than €10,000 when entering Spain. This is a border declaration, not a tax, and it is separate from reporting foreign assets later.