IRPF 2026 is attracting unprecedented attention this year. The Renta 2025 campaign, filed between April and June 2026, arrives at a moment when several accumulated legislative changes are consolidating, the 47% top marginal rate is fully established and the AEAT is intensifying controls on crypto assets, foreign income and digital earnings. This guide sets out in a structured way everything that tax residents in Spain need to know: the 2026 IRPF brackets, legislative developments with real impact, the official campaign calendar, the main current deductions, the specific issues for sole traders and the interaction with the special impatriate regime known as the Beckham Law.
Why IRPF 2026 is trending
Every year, the opening of the income tax campaign generates a search peak in Spain that trend engines identify as viral. However, IRPF 2026 is attracting an unusually high volume for reasons that go beyond the usual seasonal cycle.
The accumulation of regulatory changes introduced between 2023 and 2025 reaches full implementation precisely in the 2026 campaign. The Housing Law transformed the deduction system for landlords of primary residential property, Form 721 for foreign crypto assets is in its second year of operation, and the real-income contribution system for sole traders generates for the first time regularisations that simultaneously affect the income tax return and Social Security contributions.
Added to this is the impact of the 47% top marginal rate on employment income and the 28% savings rate for the highest earners, which has intensified the debate about Spain’s tax burden and revived interest in alternative regimes such as the Beckham Law. The DAC8 Directive, which requires crypto exchanges to report their clients’ transaction data to European tax authorities, adds an element of uncertainty for digital asset investors who had not declared rigorously in prior years.
Official Renta 2025–2026 campaign calendar
- 2 April 2026: Online filing opens. Taxpayers can access their draft return and fiscal data via Renta WEB at the AEAT’s electronic office, review the information and submit their return.
- Early May 2026: Plan Le Llamamos launches. Taxpayers who request an appointment can receive a call from an AEAT agent to prepare and file their return by telephone. This channel is recommended for straightforward returns.
- Early June 2026: In-person appointment service opens at AEAT offices. Appointments must be requested in advance.
- 25 June 2026: Deadline for returns with a balance due and a direct-debit payment instruction.
- 30 June 2026: Final closing deadline for all results and filing methods.
Payment splitting: Taxpayers with a balance due can split the payment: 60% when filing and the remaining 40% by 6 November 2026, without surcharge or default interest.
Refunds: The AEAT begins processing refunds from the start of the campaign. Taxpayers filing in the first weeks of April typically receive refunds before the end of May. The legal maximum deadline for the AEAT to process a refund is six months from the end of the filing period — before 31 December 2026 — though in practice most refunds are processed considerably earlier.
Who must file in 2026
Employment income:
- Single employer: obligation if gross employment income exceeds €22,000 per year
- Two or more employers when combined income from the second and subsequent employers exceeds €1,500: threshold falls to €15,000 per year
Investment income and capital gains subject to withholding: threshold of €1,600 per year in aggregate.
Imputed property income, Treasury Bills and housing purchase grants: limit of €1,000 per year in aggregate.
Income not subject to withholding: above €500 per year.
Regardless of thresholds, always required to file: sole traders, those applying certain deductions, Beckham Law impatriates, and those with Form 720/721 obligations.
The 2026 IRPF brackets in detail
The brackets applicable to 2025 income combine the state and regional rates:
| Taxable base | Rate |
|---|---|
| Up to €12,450 | 19% |
| €12,450 – €20,200 | 24% |
| €20,200 – €35,200 | 30% |
| €35,200 – €60,000 | 37% |
| €60,000 – €300,000 | 45% |
| Above €300,000 | 47% |
Savings base (investment income, dividends, capital gains):
| Savings income | Rate |
|---|---|
| Up to €6,000 | 19% |
| €6,000 – €50,000 | 21% |
| €50,000 – €200,000 | 23% |
| €200,000 – €300,000 | 27% |
| Above €300,000 | 28% |
Regional variations are significant. Madrid applies reduced regional rates that can lower the effective combined rate by 2–3 percentage points. Catalonia, the Basque Country and the Valencian Community apply higher regional rates, particularly for top earners. For taxpayers considering changing their tax residency, the regional rate differential on income above €60,000 is material.
Key deductions for 2026
Housing purchase (pre-2013 mortgages): 15% on annual payments up to €9,040 per taxpayer. Only available for mortgages taken out before 1 January 2013 to finance the acquisition of the primary residence.
Energy efficiency improvements: 20% for improvements achieving at least 7% reduction in heating/cooling demand; 40% for those achieving at least 30% reduction; 60% for complete building renovations achieving at least 30% primary energy consumption reduction. Bases and limits vary by improvement type.
Charitable donations: 80% on first €250; 40% on the remainder; 45% if donations to the same entity exceed €250 and the donor has given the same or higher amount in the two prior years.
Investment in new company shares: 50% on investment up to €100,000 per year in qualifying start-up shares. One of the most generous deductions available in the Spanish tax system.
Pension plan contributions: Reduction of up to €1,500 per year for individual plan contributions, plus up to €8,500 for employer plan contributions.
Primary residence rent (for tenants, regional): Variable by Autonomous Community. Madrid, Catalonia and several others maintain this deduction for taxpayers below certain income thresholds.
Special considerations for sole traders
The 2026 income tax return is particularly complex for sole traders due to the interaction between:
- The real-income Social Security contribution system, which generates regularisation amounts affecting the deductible Social Security expenses
- The elimination or restriction of the módulos regime for an increasing number of activities
- The AEAT’s strengthened data matching between quarterly VAT returns and the income declared in the annual return
- The extended deductibility of home office expenses (30% rule) subject to the Form 036/037 prior communication
Sole traders should not confirm the draft return without completing business income and expense sections — the draft never incorporates business expenses, and confirming it is equivalent to paying tax on gross income.
The Beckham Law: still one of the best options
The special impatriate regime (Article 93 IRPF) — the Beckham Law — remains one of the most powerful fiscal attractions for international talent relocating to Spain. Key features for 2026:
- Flat rate: 24% on employment and business income up to €600,000 (compared with a progressive rate reaching 47% under the general system)
- Duration: 6 fiscal years (the year of arrival plus the following 5)
- Foreign income exemption: investment income from foreign sources is exempt from Spanish income tax (except employment income)
- No Form 720 obligation: no need to declare foreign assets during the regime
- No wealth tax on foreign assets: during the regime, only Spanish-situs assets are subject to the Wealth Tax
- Extended scope: since the Startups Law (2022), freelancers and entrepreneurs can now access the regime in addition to employed workers
For international professionals and entrepreneurs considering relocating to Spain, the 2026 campaign is often the first year under the regime. Ensuring the Model 149 election was filed correctly within six months of the start of Spanish Social Security or IAE registration is essential.
How BMC can help
BMC’s tax advisory team assists individuals, sole traders and owner-directors in preparing and filing their annual income tax return with the most favourable outcome permitted by law. For complex situations — multiple income sources, international elements, significant investments or Beckham Law applications — we provide a comprehensive pre-filing review and filing service.
We also advise international professionals and entrepreneurs on evaluating and applying for the Beckham Law regime before relocation.
