Non-residents owning real estate located in Spain are liable to the following taxes:
a) Non-Resident Income Tax (Impuesto sobre la Renta de No Residentes; “IRNR”); and
b) Wealth Tax (Impuesto sobre el Patrimonio; “IP”).
The Wealth Tax (IP) has been set at zero from 01/01/2008, which means it no longer has to be declared.
So I think you're probably refering to IRNR - commonly known as “La Renta”.
It is a tax payable by all non-residents. But don't be confused by the term RENTA (it measn Rent or Income) - you pay it whether you rent your apartment out or not. If you own a property and are non-resident (ie spend less than 183 days per year in Spain) it is “deemed” that you must be renting it and so therefore have to pay a tax.
You asked if you are liable. The answer is a resounding YES. All property owners are liable.
Non-Residents pay IRNR - Residents pay Income Tax = Impuesto sobre la Renta de las Personas Físicas (IRPF).
Your tax return must be submitted by 31st December for taxes due the previous year. So you need to submit your 2013 tax return by 31st December 2104. There is a large fine if you dont 'submit your return on time.
You pay a percentage of the cadastral value of the property. It is about 2% but the percentage depends on when the cadastral value was last set. The cadastral value is the amount the Spanish Government deem your property is worth - and does not reflect resale value. It was reduced this year for most properties on Roda. Your IBI bill will show your cadastral value or you can look it up on the cadastral website.
Have a look at this page http://www.spanishpropertyinsight.com/tax-and-pensions/tax-for-non-residents/
You should have been getting emails from Resortalia. The last 3 weeks have explained the FOUR bills that you have to pay each year on your property in Spain.
You can calculate, declare it, and pay it yourself - download the appropriate forms from the Goevernment website.
BUT - they are all in Spanish and not easy to understand so I would advise using the services of a fiscal rep (or gestor) - they will do your full tax return and submit and pay for you. On the last weekly report, Resortalia have offered the services of Abad Associates for just €36 for the first year for 2 people - don't know what it will be after that though. This is a reasably good deal. We pay €40 per year each - as all owners have to pay, so if the property is jointly owned (or the mortgage is in joint names) then 2 returns and payments are required.
So you need to get a move on if you haven't presented your 2013 return yet!
This message was last edited by pommers on 08/11/2014.