What a small limited company (sociedad limitada) costs to run each year

Terms used

• Registro Mercantil — The Registro Mercantil is the commercial registry where companies file their annual accounts and legalise their books.
• RETA — RETA is the Social Security scheme for self-employed people (autónomos), which working company owners often must join.
• Autónomo — An autónomo is a self-employed person who pays Social Security contributions through RETA.
• Seguridad Social — The Seguridad Social is Spain's Social Security body, which sets contribution bases and rates.
• Modelo 200 — Modelo 200 is the annual corporate tax return.
• Libro de actas — The libro de actas is the minutes book recording the decisions of the company's general meetings.

Key rules

• Idle company: A company with no revenue still has adviser, filing, registry, certificate, bank and owner Social Security costs until it is dissolved and liquidated.
• Accounts deadline: Approve the annual accounts within six months of year end and file them at the registry within one month of approval.
• Owner Social Security: If you work in the company and hold at least 25%, you normally must pay Social Security as an autónomo.
• Late filing: Late accounts can bring fines of 1,200 to 60,000 euros and closure of the registry to your company.

The short answer

Budget for a fixed yearly bill whether or not the company trades. The adviser is usually the biggest item. Your own Social Security is a separate, larger item. Excluding Social Security, the running costs of a small company are commonly in the low thousands of euros a year. This is a rough guide only, so get quotes from advisers.

What you pay for each year

• Adviser. Bookkeeping and tax returns. The price depends on how many transactions you have and which city you are in. Ask for a fixed yearly fee and what it covers.
• Registry fees. Filing the annual accounts at the Registro Mercantil costs modest fees, roughly tens of euros.
• Digital certificate. You need a certificate for the company or its administrator to file accounts and tax returns. Renew it when it expires.
• Bank fees. These continue even with no activity.
• Your Social Security. See the next section.

Social Security for the owner

If you work in the company and hold at least 25% of it, you must normally register as self-employed (autónomo) in the special scheme called RETA. The 25% can be held alone or together with your spouse and relatives up to second degree. You must also register if you have effective control of the company.

Contributions depend on your real net income, in income brackets. Company owners have a minimum base that is higher than the general autónomo minimum. You choose a base within the bracket that matches your expected earnings, and it is adjusted against your tax return later. In 2025 the total rate was roughly 31.5% to 32% of the base. Bases and rates are reset every year, so ask the Seguridad Social for the current minimum base and rate.

Yearly filings and deadlines

The deadlines are in the timeline below. The points to budget for:

• Accounts. The general meeting must approve the annual accounts within six months of year end. You then file them at the registry within one month of approval. The books (journal, and inventory and accounts book) are legalised electronically within four months of year end.
• Corporate tax. The company files corporate tax (modelo 200) every year, even with zero result. Instalment payments (modelo 202) fall in April, October and December.
• Other returns. Depending on activity, these are quarterly VAT (modelo 303) with an annual summary (modelo 390), withholding on employees and professionals (modelo 111, annual summary 190), withholding on rent (modelo 115, annual summary 180), and operations with third parties over 3,005.06 euros (modelo 347) in February. Your adviser will tell you which apply.
• Company books. Keep the minutes book (libro de actas) and the register of members (libro registro de socios), as well as the accounting books.

If the company has no revenue

You still pay for the adviser, the zero-result corporate tax return, legalised books, the general meeting, the registry filing, certificates and bank fees. Social Security remains due if you are a working owner. Zero VAT and withholding returns are usually still needed where they apply.

Filing the accounts late can lead to fines of 1,200 to 60,000 euros. It also leads to the registry closing to the company. Missed tax returns bring penalties. If you do not want these costs, ask your adviser about formally dissolving and liquidating the company, which stops them.

The checklist, documents list and FAQ below help you plan and prepare.

Timeline and deadlines

• Hold the general meeting that approves the annual accounts: within six months of the year end Deadline: 30 June.

• File corporate tax (modelo 200): in the 25 days after six months from the year end Deadline: July.

• Pay instalments of corporate tax (modelo 202): in April, October and December

• File the return of operations with third parties over 3,005.06 euros (modelo 347): every year in February

Documents you need

• Digital certificate of the company or administrator, renewed when it expires, used to file accounts and tax returns online.

• Annual accounts: balance sheet, profit and loss and notes, plus the management report where required and an audit report if the company is audited.

• Certificate of approval of the accounts, issued after the general meeting approves them.

• Corporate tax return (modelo 200), filed every year even when the company has no revenue and the result is zero.

• Journal and inventory and accounts book, legalised electronically at the Registro Mercantil.

Checklist

• Get quotes from advisers for bookkeeping and tax returns, based on your expected number of transactions and your city.

• Work out whether you must register as self-employed because you work in the company and hold at least 25% of the capital or control it.

• Add up the yearly registry fees, digital certificate renewal and bank fees alongside the adviser fee.

• Confirm with your adviser which tax returns your company must file and that the minutes book and register of members are kept.

• Budget for the fixed costs of an SL with no revenue, or decide to dissolve and liquidate it.

Frequently asked questions

Do I still pay costs if my company has no revenue?

Yes, a company with no revenue still has fixed costs: an adviser, the corporate tax return with a zero result, and filing the annual accounts at the Registro Mercantil. Your own Social Security stays due if you work in the company as a shareholder-administrator, and bank fees and certificates continue.

Do I have to pay Social Security as the owner of an SL?

Yes, if you work in the company and hold at least 25% of the capital (alone or with your spouse and close relatives), or you effectively control it. You then register as self-employed (autónomo) and pay contributions based on your real net income.

What happens if I file the annual accounts late?

Late filing can mean fines of 1,200 to 60,000 euros, and the Registro Mercantil will stop certifying for your company. In practice the registry is closed to you until the accounts are filed. File as soon as you can, using your digital certificate.

Which tax returns does a small SL file besides corporate tax?

Most SLs also file quarterly VAT returns and quarterly withholding returns for employees and professionals. Each has an annual summary, and a yearly return of operations with third parties over 3,005.06 euros is due in February. Rent withholding and EU or related-party returns apply only if you have those transactions.