The Modelo 210 year by year: the tax you pay for owning a home in Spain as a non-resident

You bought a home in Spain, you do not rent it out, you use it for a couple of weeks a year when you come on holiday… and you live abroad. Many people assume that, since the property produces no income, there is nothing to declare. And here comes the surprise: the Spanish Tax Agency does expect a return from you every year. It is the Modelo 210, and the tax a non-resident pays simply for having a home at their disposal is called renta imputada (imputed income).

Do not panic: handled properly it is a perfectly manageable annual filing, and the amounts are usually modest. I explain, without jargon, what the Modelo 210 declares, how imputed income is calculated, how much you pay depending on where you live, and an important change of deadlines arriving in 2026.

What the Modelo 210 declares

The Modelo 210 is the self-assessment of the Non-Resident Income Tax (IRNR) for anyone who earns income in Spain without a permanent establishment here (governed by the TRLIRNR, RDLeg 5/2004, and approved by Orden EHA/3316/2010). The same form covers several different situations: the imputed income of the home you keep at your disposal, the rental income if you let it, and the capital gain if you sell it. Today we focus on the first, which affects almost every non-resident owner year after year.

Imputed income: paying for owning a home even if you do not rent it

The underlying idea is this: the law assumes that an urban property kept at your disposal (which cannot be your main home — you do not reside in Spain — and is not rented out) generates a theoretical benefit for the mere fact that you can use it. The tax is calculated on that theoretical benefit, known as renta imputada (imputed income). It accrues on 31 December each year; if you were not the owner for the whole year (say you bought in July), it is apportioned for the days the home was yours.

How much is that imputed income? A percentage of the property's cadastral value (you will find it on your IBI council-tax bill): 1.1 % if the cadastral value was updated through a general assessment procedure that took effect in the current year or in the previous ten, and 2 % in all other cases. An honest clarification is in order here: the TRLIRNR (art. 24.5) refers to an IRPF article that has already been repealed; the rule actually applied today is art. 85 of Ley 35/2006 (IRPF). The article number changes, but the calculation is the one I am describing.

And what if the property does not yet have a cadastral value, or it has not been notified to you by 31 December? In that case the base is calculated on 50 % of the higher of two figures — the acquisition value or the value assessed by the authorities for other purposes — and the 1.1 % rate applies.

What you actually pay: 19 % or 24 %

The IRNR rate is then applied to that base (the 1.1 % or 2 % of the cadastral value), and here the country where you live makes the difference (art. 25 of the TRLIRNR): 19 % if you live in another European Union or European Economic Area State with an effective exchange of tax information (for these purposes, Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein), and 24 % for everyone else. There is a further advantage for EU/EEA residents: on income such as rentals they may deduct expenses directly related to the property in Spain; residents of third countries cannot, and are taxed on the gross amount.

The 2026 change: a new deadline for imputed income

Until now, imputed income was declared at any point during the calendar year following accrual. According to the new Orden HAC/623/2026, that window changes: the filing and payment of imputed income from property moves to the period from 1 April to 31 December of the calendar year following the accrual date. As the rule indicates, it would apply for the first time to 2026 accruals; that is, the imputed income accrued on 31 December 2026 would be declared between April and December 2027. It is a recent change, so it is worth confirming the exact dates in your case before filing, but the gist is clear: do not lose track of the calendar, because the start of the window shifts to April.

Renting, selling or due a refund? Each case has its own deadline

The Modelo 210 serves several purposes, and each has its own calendar. If your situation is not only imputed income, watch these deadlines:

• Rental with an amount to pay: quarterly return, within the first twenty calendar days of April, July, October and January, for the previous quarter's income. Since 2024, the letting of property can be grouped and declared once a year, due on 20 January of the following year.
• Sale of the property (capital gain): the deadline is three months, once one month has passed from the date of the transfer. In addition, the buyer will have withheld 3 % of the price on account via the Modelo 211.
• Self-assessment with a nil result: from 1 to 20 January of the year following accrual.
• Self-assessment with a refund due: from 1 February of the following year, and you have four years to claim it.

If you own a home on the Costa Blanca and you would rather not keep track of forms, deadlines and percentages every year, let me take care of it. I prepare and file your Modelo 210 on time, calculate the base correctly from your cadastral value, and apply the rate that corresponds to your country of residence. That way no unexpected letter from the Hacienda reaches you, and you simply get to enjoy your home. Write to me and we will look at it together.