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V0486-18 ·22 February 2018 ·consulta-vinculante Medium impact
Tax

Legal costs are not subject to VAT between the winning and losing parties

A lawyer inquired whether VAT should be charged to a client paying legal costs following a successful lawsuit. The Directorate General of Taxes (DGT) ruled that the payment of costs constitutes compensation rather than a provision of services between the parties to the litigation.

In 6 key points

How it affects those involved

This ruling clarifies that legal cost reimbursements between litigants do not constitute a taxable event for VAT purposes, as they lack the element of a service exchange.

Lifecycle

2018-02-22PublishedPublished in the BOE
Official text Based on BOE data (boe.es). Information, not advice.

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This analysis is informational only and does not constitute legal advice or create a client-adviser relationship. BM Consulting.
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