Imputed Income Tax on an Empty Property in Spain: What Non-Residents Owe

Even if a Spanish property earns you nothing, owning it as a non-resident can still create a tax bill — on income you never actually received.

Why an empty property still generates a tax charge

Spain treats any urban property you own that is neither your main home nor rented out as producing a notional benefit, taxed as imputed income (renta imputada). It applies to holiday homes used only occasionally by the owner, and to properties left genuinely vacant, in the same way.

How the amount is worked out

The imputed income is calculated as a percentage of the property’s cadastral value (shown on the IBI receipt): 1.1% if that cadastral value has been revised within the last 10 years, or 2% if it has not. Whichever percentage applies, the resulting figure is then taxed at 19% for EU/EEA residents or 24% for everyone else.

A separate deadline from rental income

This is filed via the same Modelo 210 form used for rental income and capital gains, but on its own schedule: the deadline is 31 December of the year following the tax year, not the January window that applies to actual rental income. Owning a property that was rented out for part of the year and empty for the rest can mean filing two separate Modelo 210 declarations for the two periods.

Partial-year ownership is prorated

If you only owned the property, or only had it available for your own use, for part of the year — because you bought or sold partway through, for example — the imputed income is prorated to that period rather than calculated as if you had owned it for the full twelve months.

Call us today on +34 919 499 342 or email marialuisa@costaluzlawyers.es if you need help with imputed income tax on a Spanish property you own but don’t rent out.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I owe tax on a Spanish property I own but don’t rent out?

Yes — non-residents owe imputed income tax (renta imputada) on any Spanish urban property that is not their main home and is not rented out, even though no actual income was received.

How is the imputed income calculated?

It is a percentage of the property’s cadastral value: 1.1% if the cadastral value was revised within the last 10 years, or 2% if it was not.

What tax rate applies to that imputed amount?

19% for residents of the EU/EEA, 24% for everyone else — the same non-resident rate split that applies to other Spanish non-resident income.

When do I file and pay this?

Imputed income is filed via Modelo 210 with a deadline of 31 December of the year following the tax year — a different deadline from the January window used for actual rental income.

What if I only owned the property for part of the year?

The imputed income is prorated for the number of days you actually owned or had the property available during the year, not charged for the full year.

Owners who assume an empty property has no filing obligation are exactly who Hacienda audits catch — see how those audits actually unfold and how far back they can go.