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Wealth Tax Catalonia 2026: Guide for Villa Buyers
· 25 June 2026
A non-resident owner pays Spanish wealth tax (Impuesto sobre el Patrimonio) on property in Spain if its net value exceeds €700,000. For a €2,800,000 villa on the Costa Brava that comes to about €18,400 a year under the Spanish state rules, which apply to non-residents by default. The Catalan rules (€500,000 allowance) cost more in this case: you can opt for them, but you do not have to.
This tax often surprises buyers because it is charged every year, on top of the local property tax (IBI). Here is how it is worked out, what a non-resident actually pays, how it interacts with a wealth tax at home and which dates to keep in mind. This is general information, not tax advice: every case needs to be checked by a tax adviser.
What Spanish wealth tax is
It is an annual tax on net assets held on 31 December. It is a state tax, but each region sets its own rules for its residents. Catalonia applies a €500,000 allowance and rates from 0.21% to 3.48%, one of the heaviest in Spain. No change has been announced for 2026 so far.
A non-resident pays only on assets in Spain. Your wealth at home is not part of the Spanish calculation. However, the main-home exemption (up to €300,000) is generally not available to non-residents.
Update, November 2026: what a non-resident owner pays every year, from the tax on an empty or let home to IBI and the tax when selling, is in our guide to Spanish property tax for non-residents.
State rules or Catalan rules: the non-resident’s choice
- By default: the state rules, with a €700,000 allowance and rates from 0.2% to 3.5%.
- As an option: the rules of the region where most of your Spanish assets are, so Catalonia for a villa on the Costa Brava, with a €500,000 allowance.
For a villa on the Costa Brava the state rules are almost always cheaper: the allowance is higher and the rates lower. By our calculations, the Catalan rules only pay off above roughly €13 million of net assets in Spain.
What a non-resident pays: examples
| Case | State rules | Catalan rules |
|---|---|---|
| €1,000,000 villa, one owner | €733 | €1,748 |
| €2,000,000 villa, one owner | €8,190 | €11,174 |
| €2,800,000 villa, one owner | €18,442 | €22,094 |
| €2,800,000 villa, a couple 50/50 | €2,790 each, €5,581 in total | €4,820 each |
Owning as a couple cuts the bill sharply. The tax is individual: each spouse has their own allowance and jointly owned property is split equally. For the €2,800,000 villa, a couple pays about €5,600 a year instead of €18,400 for a single owner.
The value used is the highest of three. Cadastral value, value set by the tax authorities for another tax, or purchase price: for a recent purchase it is usually the price paid.
What can reduce the bill
- A mortgage: the capital still owed on 31 December is deductible if it was used to buy the Spanish property. Interest is not deductible.
- The 60% cap: since two Supreme Court judgments of October and November 2025, non-residents can also apply the limit that caps wealth tax plus income tax at 60% of taxable income. At least 20% of the wealth tax is always payable. Form 714 was amended accordingly in 2026.
- Owning jointly: see the couple example above.
Spanish wealth tax and your home country: the French example
Some countries have their own wealth tax, so the treaty with Spain matters. France is a good example: a French resident includes the Spanish villa in the IFI, France’s wealth tax on real estate, due when net property assets exceed €1,300,000. The 1995 France-Spain treaty prevents double taxation: Spain taxes the property because it is located there (article 23), and France gives a credit equal to the Spanish tax paid, up to the IFI on that property (article 24 of the treaty, article 980 of the French tax code). If you live elsewhere, check your own country’s treaty with Spain with your tax adviser.
Very large fortunes: the solidarity tax
Above €3,000,000 of net assets, the temporary solidarity tax on large fortunes (ITSGF) also applies, now extended with no end date. Wealth tax already paid is deductible, so this extra tax often comes to zero when wealth tax is paid in full; it still needs checking and, where required, Form 718 is filed in July. For a €2,800,000 villa with no other Spanish assets, it does not apply.
Dates and filing
- Who files: anyone with tax to pay, and any owner whose Spanish assets exceed €2,000,000 gross, even if the tax is zero.
- When: the 2025 tax was filed from 8 April to 30 June 2026 (Form 714). For the 2026 tax the calendar has not been published yet; it is expected to run from April to 30 June 2027.
- How: online on the Agencia Tributaria website, with a digital certificate or through a tax representative in Spain.
Before you buy: three points to settle
Put the tax in the budget. For a villa above €1,000,000, wealth tax is a yearly cost, like IBI and community fees.
Choose the structure before signing. Buying alone or as a couple, and how much you finance with a mortgage, change the tax for as long as you own the property.
Have a tax adviser run the numbers. They will take into account your situation at home, the 60% cap and any other assets in Spain. For the taxes due on purchase, our purchase cost calculator for Catalonia shows the figures on real homes.
Questions about wealth tax in Catalonia
Do non-residents pay wealth tax in Spain?
Yes, on their assets located in Spain, if the net value exceeds the allowance: €700,000 under the state rules, which apply by default, or €500,000 if they opt for the Catalan rules.
How much wealth tax is due on a €2 million villa in Catalonia?
For a non-resident sole owner with no debts, about €8,190 a year under the state rules and €11,174 under the Catalan rules (October 2026 calculation, without the 60% cap).
Do I have to file if no tax is due?
Yes, if your assets in Spain exceed €2,000,000 gross. Below that, you only have to file if tax is payable.
Will I be taxed twice by Spain and my home country?
Not if you live in France: you can offset the Spanish tax paid against the French IFI on the same property, up to that IFI. Elsewhere, it depends on your country’s treaty with Spain.
Does buying as a couple reduce wealth tax?
Yes. Each spouse has their own €700,000 allowance: for a €2,800,000 villa owned 50/50, the tax falls from about €18,400 to about €5,600 a year for the couple.
Looking for a villa on the Costa Brava?
Tell us what kind of villa you are looking for, where and your budget: we’ll put together a selection and arrange viewings, in person or by video call.
Sources: Agència Tributària de Catalunya, wealth tax (2022-2025 scale); Law 19/1991 (arts. 4, 5, 7, 10, 28, 30, 31 and additional provision 4); Agencia Tributaria, Patrimonio 2025 manual; Supreme Court judgments 1372/2025 and 1402/2025; TEAC, 27 January 2026; Orden HAC/277/2026; Law 38/2022 and Royal Decree-Law 8/2023 (ITSGF); France-Spain tax treaty of 10 October 1995, arts. 23 and 24; French tax code, arts. 964 and 980; BOFiP BOI-PAT-IFI-50-20. VivendaNova calculations, October 2026. General information as of 30 October 2026; it does not replace advice from a tax adviser.