Hacienda audit closed in my favor the docs that mattered
the beckham law bit is interesting. i thought once you had the approval letter for the special tax regime they wouldn't bother auditing the residency part as much. it sounds like they are basically checking everyone now regardless of which tax system you are under. thanks for the heads up on the grocery receipts. i'll start stuffing them in a shoebox just in case.
210 days is a safe margin. i'm hovering right around 185 days this year because i travel a lot for work. this post is a good reminder that the tax man doesn't just take your word for it. do you think the fact you were in poblenou made a difference? sometimes i feel like certain offices in barcelona are harsher than others depending on the neighborhood.
man the bank statement thing is wild. i mostly use revolut and keep my spanish bank for the rent and the internet bill only. maybe i should move my daily spending over just to be safe. did they go through every single line item or just look for the locations on the transactions? i really don't want a tax agent judging how much i spend at the bakery every morning.
congrats man. hacienda is aggressive lately. did they ask for a stamped copy of your passport? i heard they are checking every single date against the stamps now.
exactly this. i had an auditor tell me that a lease means nothing if the electricity usage is zero. they want to see the lights were on.
did you use a gestor for this or did you handle the aeat portal notifications yourself? i get so much anxiety every time i get an email from them. it feels like people in barcelona are getting audited way more than people in madrid or valencia this year. maybe i'm just being paranoid but it seems like the local office wants its cut of the nomad money.
always use a gestor. it costs like 50 or 100 bucks for a consultation and they know the exact tone to take with the auditors. doing it yourself is a recipe for a headache especially if your spanish isn't perfect.
how much did you pay for a lawyer to handle the response? i'm doing my first filing in madrid this year and i'm terrified of getting flagged.
i didn't translate the bbva ones since they were already in spanish. for my chase statements i just gave them the raw pdfs and they didn't complain. keep in mind it depends on the specific officer you get.
i had a similar issue last month. they didn't care about my rental contract at all because it was a seasonal one for 11 months. they told me flat out that anyone can pay for an empty apartment. the utility bills are the real key. if you aren't using water or electricity it's a huge red flag that you aren't actually living there. i'm glad the excel sheet worked for you. i need to start tracking my ferry trips to mallorca better.
the seasonal contract thing is a classic trap. hacienda hates those because they look like you're a tourist. if you can get a long term contract it makes life way easier during an audit. even if it costs more up front.
it took them three months to reply? that is actually fast for them. i have been waiting on a residency fix from the uge since last november. spain is slow.
honestly you can do it yourself if your records are clean. i spent 500 euros on a gestoria in 2025 and they literally just uploaded the files i gave them. save your money.
getting that certificate of coverage from the ssa was such a pain for me. the us side took forever to mail it out. i'm surprised they asked for it during an audit though. usually they just want that for the initial application. it makes me think they are getting way stricter about nomads who might be working for companies that aren't actually set up right for the visa. glad you got through it without a fine.
the us certificate of coverage is key. without that they try to force you into the spanish social security system even if you are a remote contractor. good call mentioning that.
did you have to translate your bank statements into spanish? my gestor says everything needs a sworn translation and that is going to cost a fortune.
the uge and hacienda are different beasts. tax office stays moving because they want the money. immigration has no incentive to rush.
i'm surprised they cared about the ferry trips. usually its just flight records they can track through the api systems. it shows they are really doing their homework. i hope the 2026 season isn't this stressful for everyone. sounds like you had your ducks in a row though. keeping that excel log is smart. i'm going to start one today.
hearing they actually checked card swipes is terrifying. i've been using my chase card for everything because it has better rewards and no foreign transaction fees. i guess i should start using my sabadell card for groceries just to leave a paper trail. did they ask for physical receipts or just the bank statements? i've been tossing my mercadona slips in the bin for months and now i'm panicking a bit.
honestly just stick to the digital footprint. i had a similar check and showing the mobile app history was enough. they really just want to see that you aren't spending your money in london or nyc while claiming to live in barca. keeping every tiny slip of paper for the grocery store is overkill for most people.
poblenou represent. glad you beat them. they have been hitting nomads in bcn harder than anywhere else in spain this year. it feels like a cash grab.
unpopular opinion but it's not a cash grab. if you live here for 7 months you should pay the tax. glad the op had the docs to prove it though. moves the process along for everyone.
did they ask about your global assets or just the income? i'm worried about the whole modelo 720 thing. i have a house back home.
this audit was just about the residence. they didn't bring up the asset reporting yet but i'm sure that's coming next year. i'm keeping my head down.