Skip to content
Back to index
V5466-26 12 August 2026 · SG de Impuestos sobre las Personas Jurídicas Criterion in force
IS · distribución de fondos propios

Transfer of assets from a company to its shareholder is a distribution of equity, not a donation

A local council, as the sole shareholder of a company, is considering receiving a donation of its rural properties. The DGT has ruled that the transaction does not constitute a donation due to the absence of 'animus donandi', but is instead a distribution of equity (reserves, share premium, or capital).

The question raised

Question posed - What would be the tax treatment in Corporate Income Tax for the donor corporation and what would be the resulting tax cost?

The DGT's ruling

Profit-making transfers from a company to its shareholder are not donations, but rather distributions of equity. As they do not constitute a pure and simple donation, the tax incentives of Law 49/2002 do not apply. The city council, as a local entity, is exempt from Corporate Income Tax pursuant to Article 9.1 of the LIS. Regarding the ITPAJD, the transaction is exempt under the documented legal acts modality.

Email
Contact