Published: 25-04-2025
Spain’s new 2025 tax control introduces measures that require banks, platforms, and citizens to report more detailed information to the Tax Agency. Starting January 1, 2026, banks, payment platforms, and financial institutions will be obligated to provide additional data to the Spanish Tax Agency regarding accounts, cards, loans, and cash transactions. These new regulations are set out in Royal Decree 253/2025 of April 1, which amends both the Personal Income Tax Regulations and the General Regulations on tax management and inspection.
These measures affect not only businesses and self-employed individuals, but also any citizen, as the Tax Agency will now be able to review financial activity in greater detail—even when relatively small amounts are involved.
What changes with the new 2025 tax control in Spain?
Below are the key elements of Royal Decree 253/2025 that will impact the relationship between taxpayers and the Spanish Tax Agency:
1. Information on loans, credit, and cash movements
Banks must report annual information on deposits, withdrawals, or payments in cash exceeding €3,000, regardless of currency or method. They must also report balances exceeding €6,000 as of December 31, as well as any loans or credits granted, including identification of the borrower.
2. Information on bank accounts
Banks and credit institutions will be required to file an information return including:
- Identification of account holders
- Account balances as of December 31
- Quarterly transactions
- Total annual debits and credits
This requirement also applies to foreign accounts if the holder is a tax resident in Spain, complementing the current international banking information exchange system (CRS).
3. Card transactions
Card issuers (credit, debit, electronic money), including foreign branches operating in Spain, must report if annual movements exceed €25,000. They will need to declare:
- Contract and cardholder details
- Card number and type
- Transactions carried out (charges, payments, withdrawals, reloads)
- Associated accounts
4. POS, mobile, and digital platform payments
Entities that manage payments (banks, electronic money institutions, card issuers) must report monthly on:
- Merchants and professionals using their payment systems
- Total amounts collected
- Identification of the payment terminals used
- Destination accounts of the funds
This includes payments made via physical POS terminals, virtual POS, Bizum, Apple Pay, and similar platforms.
5. Nurseries and the maternity tax credit
Authorized nurseries will be required to report annually:
- Name of the child and parents
- Full months of attendance
- Total expenses paid
- Any public aid received
How to protect yourself from inspections and penalties
All of these obligations under the new 2025 tax control framework in Spain apply to large corporations, small businesses, and individuals alike. Here’s how to protect yourself:
- Justify all financial movements with invoices, contracts, statements, and supporting documents.
- Consult a tax advisor before conducting significant operations (inheritances, property sales, family loans, etc.).
- Keep documentation for at least 4 years, which is the general tax statute of limitations.
Conclusion
The Spanish Tax Agency is moving toward a more thorough tax monitoring system, with near-complete access to taxpayers’ financial information. Thanks to automated data cross-checks and international information exchange, unjustified bank transactions, card payments, or suspicious transfers can now be detected and analyzed with much more precision.
At Gentile Law, we have experts in international taxation who can help you comply with Spain’s new 2025 tax control framework in a secure and legally compliant manner.