Buying property in Marbella is, for most international buyers, one of the largest financial decisions of a lifetime. The quality of the architecture, the calibre of the lifestyle, and the depth of the local market at the luxury end are well established. What is less well understood — and far too rarely explained with the precision that a €2 million or €5 million commitment demands — is the full fiscal cost of that commitment from the moment contracts are signed to the moment you hold the keys, and every year thereafter.
This guide exists to close that gap. It covers every Spain property purchase tax relevant to non-residents in 2026, with particular focus on Andalusia's competitive tax framework, worked euro-figure examples at luxury price points, annual holding costs, and the ownership-structure questions that buyers at the higher end of the market should be asking before they sign.
Tax law changes. The rates and deadlines below are those of the statutes cited, as they stood on 2 October 2026. Always verify the current position with a qualified Spanish tax adviser before transacting.
What Are the Total Purchase Taxes on a Marbella Property in 2026? Resale vs New-Build, Side by Side
The single most important fork in the road is whether you are buying a resale property (segunda mano) or a new-build (primera transmisión, i.e., first sale from a developer). The tax treatment is structurally different.
Resale Property: ITP (Impuesto sobre Transmisiones Patrimoniales)
When you purchase a resale property — an existing home being sold by a private individual or a company that originally bought it for investment rather than development — you pay Impuesto sobre Transmisiones Patrimoniales (ITP), Spain's property transfer tax. This is a regional tax, which means the rate varies between Spain's autonomous communities.
ITP on a resale in Andalusia is 7% of the price, or of the Catastro's reference value (valor de referencia) if that is higher (Article 41 of Andalusia's Ley 5/2021; Article 10.2 of the ITP-AJD law). A resale that pays ITP pays no AJD. How the single rate compares with other regions is set out in the next section.
Additional costs on a resale: Notary and land-registry fees are statutory tariffs (Real Decreto 1426/1989 and Real Decreto 1427/1989), not percentages of the price. The figures on this site are estimates of the final invoices, not the tariff itself. On a purchase between €1.5 million and €10 million, the estimated invoices are €2,000–€5,000 for the notary and €1,500–€4,000 for the land registry. A lawyer's fee is agreed, not regulated: commonly 0.5–1% of the price plus 21% IVA. The worked examples on this site assume 0.75% plus IVA. A specialist property lawyer is strongly advisable for non-residents.
New-Build Property: IVA + AJD
A first sale from a developer is subject to a different tax structure entirely:
- IVA (VAT): IVA on a new home bought from the developer is 10% of the price, whoever the buyer is — an individual or a company (Article 91.Uno.1.7.º of the VAT law, Ley 37/1992). It is paid to the developer with the price. This is the national rate; it applies uniformly across Spain.
- AJD (Actos Jurídicos Documentados): Stamp duty on the notarial deed. AJD on a new-build purchase deed in Andalusia is 1.2% of the price, paid by the buyer alongside IVA (Article 49 of Ley 5/2021). A resale that pays ITP pays no AJD.
Together that is 11.2% of the price in tax, and no ITP. Notary, registry, and legal fees are added as on a resale.
The Key Practical Difference
For buyers comparing a resale villa and a new-build villa at similar price points, the fiscal gap between an ITP-only liability (7%) and IVA + AJD (11.2% in taxes alone before fees) is meaningful in absolute terms. On a €5,000,000 purchase the tax alone is €350,000 on a resale and €560,000 on a new build. It does not make new-builds unattractive — location, specification, and warranty obligations are all relevant — but it is a number that should appear explicitly in any purchase analysis.
Total acquisition cost: In the worked examples at €2–5 million — notary and land registry as estimated invoices, lawyer at 0.75% plus IVA — the total comes to 8.0–8.2% on top of the price for a resale and 12.2% for a new build. Only the tax is fixed by law; the other lines are estimates.
The Andalusia Tax Advantage — How Marbella's 7% Compares With Other Spanish Regions
The regional variation in ITP rates across Spain is dramatic and, in our experience, widely underappreciated by international buyers who have researched "Spanish property taxes" without drilling into regional specifics.
At the time of writing, the ITP landscape for resale residential property looks broadly as follows across major buying destinations:
- Andalusia (Marbella, Costa del Sol): Flat 7%
- Balearic Islands (Mallorca, Ibiza): Progressive scale reaching up to 13% on the portion of the price above €1 million
- Catalonia (Barcelona): Progressive scale reaching up to 11% above certain thresholds
- Valencia (Costa Blanca): 10% flat
- Madrid: 6% (the one region that undercuts Andalusia, though Madrid's luxury residential market operates in a different context)
The practical implication for a buyer comparing a €3 million villa in Marbella with a €3 million property in Mallorca or Barcelona is an ITP saving of between €90,000 and €180,000 in favour of Marbella, purely from the tax rate differential. That is before considering wealth tax, which is discussed under the Solidarity Tax section below.
In Andalusia it has been a single 7% rate since 2021; the earlier scale was 8%, 9% and 10%. Regional tax policy can change, and buyers should not assume permanence. The rate in force at completion is what matters legally.
Worked Examples: €2,000,000 and €5,000,000, Line by Line
On a €2,000,000 resale the acquisition costs come to about €163,170 (8.2%); on a €5,000,000 resale, about €402,395 (8.0%); on a €5,000,000 new build, about €612,395 (12.2%). These are the three worked examples of our guide to Marbella property purchase costs, at 2026 Andalusian rates. The notary and land-registry lines are estimated invoices, the lawyer is taken at 0.75% plus 21% IVA, and the NIE fee is counted for two buyers. Only the tax is fixed by law; the other lines are estimates.
Example 1: €2,000,000 Resale
| Cost Item | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| ITP | 7% | €140,000 |
| Notary | estimated invoice | €3,000 |
| Land registry | estimated invoice | €2,000 |
| Legal fees | 0.75% plus 21% IVA | €15,000 + €3,150 IVA |
| NIE (two persons) | — | €20 |
| Total acquisition cost | about €163,170 | |
| On top of the purchase price | 8.2% |
Example 2: €5,000,000 Resale
| Cost Item | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| ITP | 7% | €350,000 |
| Notary | estimated invoice | €4,000 |
| Land registry | estimated invoice | €3,000 |
| Legal fees | 0.75% plus 21% IVA | €37,500 + €7,875 IVA |
| NIE (two persons) | — | €20 |
| Total acquisition cost | about €402,395 | |
| On top of the purchase price | 8.0% |
Example 3: €5,000,000 New Build
| Cost Item | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| IVA | 10% | €500,000 |
| AJD | 1.2% | €60,000 |
| Notary | estimated invoice | €4,000 |
| Land registry | estimated invoice | €3,000 |
| Legal fees | 0.75% plus 21% IVA | €37,500 + €7,875 IVA |
| NIE (two persons) | — | €20 |
| Total acquisition cost | about €612,395 | |
| On top of the purchase price | 12.2% |
For where these price points sit in the Marbella market: current asking prices by zone, each with its sample size and date, are on the Marbella Property Index.
Annual Taxes After You Buy — IBI, IRNR, Solidarity Tax, and Basura on the Costa del Sol
Purchase taxes are a one-time event. What follows is an ongoing fiscal relationship with the Spanish state that non-residents frequently underestimate.
IBI (Impuesto sobre Bienes Inmuebles)
Spain's municipal property rate is broadly equivalent to council tax in the UK or property tax in the US and is levied annually by the municipality. IBI is the cadastral value multiplied by the municipal rate, which the law allows between 0.4% and 1.10% for urban property (Article 72.1 of the Haciendas Locales law). The bill for a specific house is on its last receipt — ask the seller for it. Obtaining that receipt before purchase is standard due diligence.
IRNR — Imputed Income Tax for Non-Residents
Non-residents who own Spanish property are subject to IRNR (Impuesto sobre la Renta de No Residentes) even if the property is not rented out. The Spanish tax system treats the mere ownership of a second home as generating a deemed, or imputed, income — a theoretical rental yield — which is then taxed.
For 2026, a non-resident individual who does not let the property is taxed on a deemed income of 1.1% or 2% of the cadastral value, depending on when that value was last revised; the rate is 19% for EU/EEA residents and 24% for others. It applies to individuals, not companies. The 1.1% applies where the municipality's cadastral values were set by a general valuation in force from 1 January 2012 onwards; otherwise it is 2% (disposición adicional 55.ª of Ley 35/2006, as amended by Real Decreto-ley 26/2026, provided Congress ratifies the decree). From 1 January 2027 a scale replaces the two percentages — 1.1% on the first €100,000 of cadastral value, 1.5% to €500,000, 2% to €1,000,000 and 3% above — under Real Decreto-ley 26/2026, provided Congress ratifies the decree.
The tax rate applied to that imputed income depends on where you live:
- 19% for EU and EEA residents (including Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein)
- 24% for residents of any other country, including — post-Brexit — the United Kingdom
The post-Brexit position for UK buyers is a point of genuine fiscal significance that is frequently misreported in generic guides. UK residents are no longer EU/EEA residents for Spanish tax purposes. They are taxed at 24% on imputed income, not 19%. On a property with a meaningful cadastral value, this difference is not trivial over time.
Deemed income is declared once a year on Modelo 210: for 2025 and earlier, during the following calendar year; for 2026 onwards, between 1 April and 31 December of the following year.
Rental Income Tax Under IRNR
If you rent your Marbella property — whether for short-term holiday lets or long-term tenancy — the base differs as well as the rate. Rent received by a non-resident is taxed at 19% on income net of expenses for EU/EEA residents and at 24% on gross income for everyone else (Articles 24 and 25.1.a of the IRNR law). The tax is IRNR, not IRPF. Rental income grouped annually is filed from 1 to 20 January of the following year for 2024 and 2025, and from 1 to 20 April of the following year from 2026.
Wealth Tax and the Solidarity Tax — Critical for Buyers Above the Threshold
Andalusia gives 100% relief on wealth tax (Article 25 bis of Ley 5/2021). While the state Temporary Solidarity Tax on Large Fortunes (ITSGF) is in force, that relief is limited to the difference between the two bills, so above the threshold the taxpayer pays what the solidarity tax would charge. The solidarity tax — Impuesto Temporal de Solidaridad de las Grandes Fortunas (ITSGF) — was created by Ley 38/2022 of 27 December 2022, was first charged for 2022, and has been extended by Real Decreto-ley 8/2023 until wealth taxation is reviewed.
Nothing is due while net wealth after the €700,000 allowance stays within €3,000,000; above that the scale is 1.7% to €5,347,998.03, 2.1% to €10,695,996.06 and 3.5% beyond (Article 3 of Ley 38/2022).
Non-residents have the same €700,000 allowance and are assessed on their Spanish assets only (Article 28.Tres of Ley 19/1991). On €5,000,000 of net Spanish assets with no debt: €5,000,000 − €700,000 = €4,300,000; the first €3,000,000 at 0% and the next €1,300,000 at 1.7% — €22,100 a year. Any double taxation treaty applicable to the buyer's country of residence requires specialist analysis.
Buyers in this range should understand this cost before purchasing and build it into their annual ownership budget. It does not make a Marbella acquisition fiscally uncompetitive — but it must be planned for rather than discovered retrospectively.
Basura (Waste Collection Tax)
A minor but real annual cost: the municipal waste collection charge, levied by each ayuntamiento. Typically a few hundred euros per year. Inconsequential at luxury price points but worth including for completeness.
EU vs Non-EU vs UK Buyers: How Your Residency Changes Every Tax Rate You Pay
One of the most persistent sources of error in property tax guides for Spain is treating all non-resident buyers as a single category. In practice, your tax rates vary materially depending on your fiscal residency.
EU and EEA Resident Buyers
EU and EEA residents (including residents of Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein) benefit from the most favourable IRNR rates: 19% on imputed income and 19% on rental income. They may deduct expenses against rental income. Capital gains on eventual sale are taxed at 19%, as for every non-resident.
There is no difference in purchase taxes (ITP, IVA, AJD) based on residency — these are the same for everyone.
Non-EU, Non-EEA Buyers (US, Middle East, and others)
Buyers resident outside the EU and EEA — in the United States, the Gulf, and elsewhere — face the 24% IRNR rate on imputed income and on gross rental income, with no deduction of expenses. A non-resident pays 19% on the gain from selling Spanish property, whatever the country of residence (Article 25.1.f of the IRNR law). The 19%/24% split applies to rent and deemed income, not to capital gains.
The 3% retention is worth understanding from both sides. When the seller is not resident in Spain, the buyer withholds 3% of the price and pays it to the tax agency on Modelo 211 within one month of the sale (Article 25.2 of the IRNR law; Article 14.3 of the IRNR Regulation). It is a payment on account of the seller's tax; only the excess over the tax due is refunded. When you eventually sell as a non-resident, your buyer does the same to you.
UK Buyers Post-Brexit
The UK's departure from the EU placed UK residents squarely in the non-EU category for Spanish tax purposes. The practical differences from EU/EEA residents:
- IRNR imputed income: taxed at 24% (not 19%)
- IRNR rental income: taxed at 24% on gross receipts, with no deduction of expenses
- Capital gains on sale: 19% (same as all non-residents)
The UK-Spain Double Taxation Convention remains in force and provides some protection against double taxation, but it does not neutralise the higher withholding rates. UK buyers should model their annual IRNR liability carefully, particularly on higher-value properties.
Buying Through a Company or Trust? Ownership Structure and Its Impact on Spanish Property Taxes
At the higher end of the Marbella market — properties like an eight-bedroom villa in Benahavís or a second eight-bedroom villa there — ownership structure is not merely an administrative question. It is a tax planning decision of material consequence.
Personal Name Ownership
The simplest structure. ITP or IVA + AJD is paid at purchase, IBI and IRNR are paid annually, and CGT at 19% is levied on the gain when you sell. For buyers who are genuinely using the property as a personal residence — even a secondary one — personal ownership is typically the lowest-complexity path.
Spanish SL (Sociedad Limitada) Company
Purchasing through a Spanish SL means the property is owned by a company rather than an individual. This has several implications:
- At purchase: The taxes are the same as for an individual. IVA on a new home bought from the developer is 10% of the price, whoever the buyer is — an individual or a company (Article 91.Uno.1.7.º of the VAT law, Ley 37/1992). It is paid to the developer with the price. An SL buying a resale home from a private seller pays ITP at 7%.
- Annual holding: The company pays Spanish Corporate Income Tax (Impuesto sobre Sociedades) at 25% on net income. The imputed-income rule described above applies to individuals, not companies; a company whose shareholders use the property themselves needs specific advice.
- Selling the shares vs selling the property: A buyer purchasing the shares of an SL rather than the underlying property does not automatically avoid ITP. A transfer of shares is exempt from ITP and IVA unless it was meant to avoid the tax on the property; avoidance is presumed when the buyer takes control of a company at least 50% of whose assets are Spanish real estate not used in a business (Article 338 of Ley 6/2023). Legal advice is mandatory.
- Solidarity Tax: Properties held in a company are generally included in the shareholder's Spanish wealth base for Solidarity Tax purposes.
Offshore / Foreign Company Ownership
Properties held through non-Spanish EU companies are generally treated similarly to Spanish companies for most purposes. Non-EU offshore structures (e.g., holding via a BVI or Cayman vehicle) face specific Spanish anti-avoidance rules, including a 3% annual levy (Gravamen Especial sobre Bienes Inmuebles de Entidades no Residentes, Articles 40 to 45 of the IRNR law) on the cadastral value of Spanish property held by entities resident in a tax haven. This effectively makes offshore holding vehicles through blacklisted jurisdictions punitive. The list of non-cooperative jurisdictions is updated periodically.
Family Trust and Other Structures
Spanish law does not recognise common law trusts as transparent entities in the way that, say, UK law does. A trust holding Spanish property is generally treated as an opaque entity for Spanish tax purposes, which creates complexity in both annual IRNR and eventual succession planning. Buyers considering trust structures should obtain specific advice from advisers with expertise in both Spanish law and the law of the trust jurisdiction.
The general principle: at very high price points, the tax case for holding through a professionally structured, activity-genuine SL can be compelling — particularly where the property is let commercially and where exit via share sale rather than asset sale is planned. But the structure must be established correctly from the outset, and the administrative obligations maintained throughout. Retrofitting a structure post-purchase is significantly more complex and costly.
The Post-Golden Visa Tax Landscape — Beckham Law, Non-Lucrative Visa, and Smart Fiscal Planning for HNW Non-Residents
The Golden Visa: Status and Alternatives
Spain's investor residence visa (the Golden Visa) — every route, not only property — was abolished by Ley Orgánica 1/2025 of 2 January (final provision 21), in force since 3 April 2025. Buying property gives no right of residence at any price. Applications filed before that date are decided under the old rules, and permits already granted keep their validity and can be renewed under them.
This is a material change for non-EU buyers who previously combined a Marbella purchase with residency planning. The purchase itself remains unrestricted — there is no limitation on non-EU nationals buying Spanish property — but no residency benefit follows from it.
Alternatives worth understanding, and discussing with an immigration lawyer:
Non-Lucrative Visa (NLV): Grants residency in Spain to non-EU nationals who can demonstrate sufficient passive income or assets to support themselves without working in Spain. There is no minimum property investment requirement, though owning property evidences establishment. The NLV holder becomes a Spanish tax resident after 183 days in Spain in a calendar year, at which point worldwide income becomes taxable in Spain at general progressive rates. This is a meaningful fiscal shift for buyers with significant non-Spanish income.
Digital Nomad Visa: Available to remote workers and self-employed professionals earning income from clients or employers outside Spain. It can be combined with the Beckham Law (régimen especial para trabajadores desplazados). The Beckham regime is a tax regime, not a visa: it gives no right of residence. Under Article 93 of Ley 35/2006, a person who moves to Spain for work and was not tax-resident there in the five preceding years can opt, for the year of arrival and the next five, to be taxed at 24% on work income up to €600,000 and 47% above. The option is filed on Modelo 149 within six months of the start of the activity shown in the Social Security registration (Article 116 of the income-tax Regulation, Real Decreto 439/2007). This is highly attractive for high earners relocating to Marbella.
The Beckham Law and Property: The Beckham Law applies to income tax, not to property purchase taxes (ITP, IVA, AJD remain the same regardless of visa or tax regime). A person under the regime is liable to wealth tax by real obligation — on assets located in Spain only (Article 93.1 of Ley 35/2006). The interaction between income tax planning and wealth tax planning still requires integrated advice.
Your Pre-Purchase Tax Checklist — 10 Questions to Ask Before You Sign in Marbella
Before you commit to a purchase in Marbella or the wider Costa del Sol, the following questions should each have a clear answer from your legal and tax advisers. They are not exhaustive, but they represent the most consequential issues for non-resident buyers in 2026.
1. Is this property classified as resale or new-build? The answer determines whether you pay ITP (7%) or IVA + AJD (11.2%) — on a €5,000,000 purchase, €350,000 of tax against €560,000.
2. What is the valor de referencia (official reference value) set by the Catastro? Hacienda taxes on the higher of the declared price or the reference value. If the reference value exceeds what you are paying, your ITP is calculated on the reference value, not the agreed price. This is increasingly relevant in a market where reference values have been revised upward.
3. What is the current IBI and does the cadastral value reflect the property accurately? Obtain the most recent IBI bill before exchange. It indicates both your annual council tax liability and the cadastral value base for IRNR calculations.
4. Will your net Spanish assets, after the €700,000 allowance, exceed €3,000,000? If so, budget for the annual solidarity tax (ITSGF) from the first full year of ownership.
5. What is your EU/EEA/UK/other residency status, and what IRNR rate applies to you? EU/EEA: 19%. UK and every other country: 24% on imputed income. This affects your annual tax bill every year you own the property.
6. Do you intend to let the property? Short-term rental requires a tourist licence (licencia de alquiler turístico) issued by the Junta de Andalucía. Rental income is subject to IRNR: 19% on income net of expenses for EU/EEA residents, 24% on gross income for everyone else.
7. Are you considering an ownership structure other than personal name? Discuss the purchase structure with a specialist before signing any reservation agreement, not after. Restructuring post-purchase involves additional taxes and costs.
8. Are you a non-EU national seeking residency alongside the purchase? The Golden Visa is abolished in every route, and buying property gives no right of residence at any price. Explore the Non-Lucrative Visa, the Digital Nomad Visa or the Entrepreneur Visa with an immigration lawyer.
9. Does the Beckham Law apply to your situation? If you are relocating to Spain for work, the 24% rate on work income up to €600,000 may be highly advantageous — but the option must be filed within six months of the start of the activity, and the conditions are specific.
10. Have you appointed a Spanish-qualified property lawyer (not just a gestión office) to represent you? At luxury price points, independent legal representation — separate from the developer's or vendor's advisers — is not optional. Due diligence on planning permissions, community debts, and title encumbrances is as important as the tax planning.
Marbella in the Market: Context for Buyers Doing the Maths
Understanding the tax cost is most useful when set against actual asking prices. Current asking prices by zone, each with its sample size and date, are on the Marbella Property Index. The Marbella Property Index has measured the whole published register from €350,000 since 13 August 2026.
Two residences on the register serve as reference points for the upper end; each page carries the current asking price: a 7-bedroom villa in Nueva Andalucía and an 8-bedroom villa in Benahavís.
A buyer computing the total cost of ownership — purchase taxes, annual IRNR, IBI, Solidarity Tax — needs an anchor for the asset value itself. Spain publishes no per-property closing prices. Published figures are asking prices, each with its sample size and date. The register is refreshed hourly. The Marbella Property Index pages are rebuilt from it once a day.
For buyers earlier in their Marbella search, the published register spans the Costa del Sol, and Ask Muse, the AI search on this site, answers from it. The desk introduces buyers to independent lawyers, tax advisers and banks; the buyer chooses, instructs and pays them directly.
Summary: The Total Fiscal Picture for a Non-Resident Buyer in Marbella
Pulling the threads together, a non-resident buying in Marbella in 2026 faces:
At purchase: - Resale: ITP at 7% and no AJD - New-build: IVA at 10% plus AJD at 1.2% (11.2% together) and no ITP - In total: in the worked examples at €2–5 million — notary and land registry as estimated invoices, lawyer at 0.75% plus IVA — the total comes to 8.0–8.2% on top of the price for a resale and 12.2% for a new build
Annually: - IBI: varies by cadastral value and municipality - IRNR imputed income (2026): calculated on 1.1% or 2% of the cadastral value, then taxed at 19% (EU/EEA) or 24% (UK and every other country) - Wealth tax and solidarity tax (ITSGF): nothing while net wealth after the €700,000 allowance stays within €3,000,000; above that, 1.7% to 3.5% - Basura: minor municipal charge
On sale: - CGT at 19% on the gain for all non-residents - 3% of the price withheld by the buyer (a payment on account of the seller's tax; only the excess over the tax due is refunded)
The Andalusia framework — a single 7% ITP rate and 100% regional relief on wealth tax (limited above the threshold by the state solidarity tax) — compares well with the other regions listed above for a genuinely large-scale property purchase.
That does not mean the taxes are small in absolute terms. On a €2,000,000 resale the acquisition costs come to about €163,170 (8.2%); on a €5,000,000 resale, about €402,395 (8.0%); on a €5,000,000 new build, about €612,395 (12.2%). Those figures are real, they are unavoidable, and they should be in every buyer's financial model from day one.