Holding vs Direct Taxation Calculator — Spain

Article 21 LIS provides a 95% exemption on dividends received by a Spanish holding company from its subsidiaries, where the holding holds at least 5% of the subsidiary's capital for at least one year. The holding pays IS at 25% on the remaining 5%, producing an effective rate of 1.25% — versus the 19–28% IRPF that the individual shareholder would pay on the same dividend if received directly.

As a rule of thumb, the annual tax saving should exceed the cost of maintaining the holding (typically €3,000–5,000/year for a simple Spanish SL holding). With €200,000 profit and 80% distribution, the deferred IRPF saving can exceed €20,000 per year. Below €100,000 profit, a personalised cost-benefit analysis is advisable before incurring the administrative overhead of a second entity.

Four conditions: (1) the holding must hold at least 5% of the subsidiary's capital (or have paid more than €20M); (2) the stake must have been held continuously for at least one year before the dividend; (3) the subsidiary must have been subject to an equivalent IS at a rate of at least 10% — all Spanish companies automatically satisfy this; (4) the subsidiary must not be resident in a tax haven. Additional restrictions apply for groups subject to Pillar Two.

Primarily a deferral. The IRPF not paid today will be payable when the holding distributes to the individual shareholder. However, the capital that remains in the holding rather than going to the tax authority can be reinvested on the full pre-tax amount. The value of deferral grows with the reinvestment rate and time horizon — over 10+ years with solid reinvestment, the compounded advantage is material.

A Spanish holding (SL) requires annual IS return (Form 200), annual accounts filed in the Commercial Register, and bookkeeping. If it has foreign subsidiaries, transfer pricing documentation and Article 100 LIS obligations apply. Annual advisory and administration costs typically range from €2,500 to €6,000 depending on complexity. This calculator does not deduct this cost from the estimated saving.

Yes, but it requires planning. Contributing shares of the operating company to the holding can be structured as a share swap under the FEAC neutrality regime (Article 76.5 LIS), deferring any unrealised gain at the time of the reorganisation. Where co-shareholders prefer not to join the holding, mixed structures or differentiated exit arrangements can be designed. The commercial rationale of the restructuring must be documented.