Among the taxes in Spain, value-added tax (VAT) is one of the most significant, applying to most goods and services. VAT is an indirect tax because customers pay it to the business on each sale, and then the business forwards the collected amount to the Agencia Tributaria (AEAT – the Spanish Tax Agency).

Though it can vary by situation, VAT is typically paid to the state every quarter. Let’s explore how the quarterly VAT declaration works, who has to file it, and the steps for submitting the necessary documentation.

What’s in this article?

• What is the quarterly VAT return?
  
• Who has to file the quarterly VAT return?
  
• What tax forms affect the quarterly VAT return?
  
• How is the quarterly VAT return filed?
  

What is the quarterly VAT return?

The quarterly VAT return involves paying value-added tax every three months by submitting Form 303.

In a transaction, the customer pays the tax percentage, which varies based on the VAT rates in Spain, and the business is the taxable entity, meaning it collects the tax.

The VAT paid on purchases of goods or services required for operating the business (input VAT) needs to be subtracted from the VAT collected on sales (output VAT). The difference is reported by filing Form 303 every quarter.

Though this article focuses on the quarterly VAT return, which is most common for businesses, some pay VAT monthly. To do this, they must meet specific conditions to register in the monthly refund register, or REDEME (in Spanish “registro de devolución mensual”).

Who has to file the quarterly VAT return?

Anyone involved in a professional activity that is subject to value-added tax, such as self-employed individuals, business owners, trading companies, real estate developers, and landlords, must file a quarterly VAT return.

If your activity is exempt from VAT, such as teaching or a medical practice, you don’t need to file a quarterly VAT return.

What tax forms affect the quarterly VAT return?

Form 303 is not the only form that affects quarterly VAT filing. Below is a summary of the key tax forms associated with the quarterly VAT return:

• Form 303: This tax form is designed to allow for the quarterly settlement of VAT after it has been collected, requiring the payment of the due amount to the AEAT. This process is required no matter if the return shows a positive (payment owed), negative (refund owed), or zero result (no payment owed).
  
• Form 390: This form provides an annual summary to the Treasury, detailing the VAT you have collected and the VAT you pay after applying the appropriate deductions. It is completed to supplement Form 303, incorporating the results from the quarterly VAT returns.
  
• Form 369: This tax form is for small businesses or self-employed individuals who offer electronic services or digital products to customers in Europe. This VAT form is submitted quarterly using the VAT One Stop Shop (VAT OSS).
  
• Form 349: This return is used to settle VAT on intra-community transactions, and though it is typically filed quarterly, it can also be processed annually or monthly. If your business frequently deals with customers in the European Union (EU), using a tool such as Stripe Tax can simplify your tax responsibilities by automatically verifying whether a customer has a valid European VAT number and determining whether to apply the appropriate VAT to each transaction. You can view the complete list of over 50 countries where Stripe Tax enables automatic tax calculation and collection on your sales as well as the list of excluded territories.
  

How is the quarterly VAT return filed?

Though various tax forms influence the quarterly VAT return, Form 303 is the primary document used by most businesses in Spain.

How to obtain Form 303 and where to submit it

You can download Form 303 in PDF format from the AEAT website and submit it digitally through the agency’s online portal using your Cl@ve PIN, DNIe, or Digital Certificate.

If you prefer to submit Form 303 in person, you must visit an AEAT office if your return result is “to offset” (negative result) or “no activity.” If your return result is “to be filed” (a positive result, meaning you owe a payment to the agency), you can submit the documentation at an AEAT office or at a partner organisation.

When does the quarterly VAT return with Form 303 have to be filed?

Form 303 must be submitted every quarter, even if the business has not conducted any business activities. Here are the dates when you can file each quarterly return:

• First quarter: Between 1 April and 20 April
  
• Second quarter: Between 1 July and 20 July
  
• Third quarter: Between 1 October and 20 October
  
• Fourth quarter: Between 1 January and 30 January
  

How to fill out Form 303

Completing Form 303 isn’t overly complex, even though it includes eight sections and over 80 boxes. First, ensure you have all the invoices you’ve issued, each with their corresponding VAT calculation.

Note: You’ll notice the boxes we describe are not in numerical order. Rather than arranging them by number, we’ve organised them according to the order they appear on Form 303 to simplify filling out your return. Below, we detail the most important or involved boxes, but if you need more information, you can refer to the AEAT guide.

1. Sections 1 and 2

In the “Identificación” (Identification) section, enter your Tax Identification Number (NIF), your first name and surname(s), or business name. In the “Devengo” (Accrual) section, indicate the fiscal year and the quarter for which the VAT is being paid. There are several boxes below to tick or untick based on your type of activity or taxation, such as if you are a taxable person doing a joint self-assessment or if you are exempt from filing Form 390.

2. Section 3

This is the most important step because it involves detailing the information related to the settlement. First, you need to specify the accrued VAT, which is the amount of VAT you charged during the quarter you are reporting.

• Boxes 01-09: In these boxes, you need to enter the income for each VAT rate you have applied. In the first three fields, enter the income you earned by billing at the 4% super-reduced VAT rate. To do this, indicate the taxable base and then the VAT rate. You need to do the same thing in the second and third rows with the income for the reduced and general VAT rates.
  

You need to complete only the boxes for the VAT rates you have used. For instance, if your business sells products all taxed at the general VAT rate, you should fill out only the last three boxes (boxes 07, 08, and 09). Suppose the quarterly turnover is €5,000 excluding VAT: you would enter €5,000 in box 07, the pre-defined general rate of 21% would appear in box 08, and box 09 would automatically display the total turnover including VAT, which is €6,050.

• Boxes 12 and 13: Transactions involving reverse charge invoices, in which the customer pays the VAT directly to the AEAT instead of the selling business, should be recorded here. If you were the customer in a reverse charge transaction, enter the taxable amount in box 12 and the related VAT in box 13.
  

Following the boxes for accrued VAT (the VAT you owe to the AEAT), the next four sections concern deductible VAT, which is the amount you have paid to conduct your business operations. Note that not all expenses can be deducted, and you will need invoices for every purchase.

• Boxes 28 and 29: In box 28, enter the deductible VAT amount for input VAT on current domestic transactions, meaning purchases made within Spain. Next, box 29 will show the resulting amount.
  
• Boxes 30 and 31: You need to follow the same steps as for boxes 28 and 29, but here the deductible VAT applies to assets you’ve bought, such as investment goods with a useful life of over a year, such as computers or specialised equipment.
  
• Boxes 32 through 35: In these boxes, you need to specify any extra-community purchases that have been made, as long as they have gone through customs control and are listed on a SAD invoice. The taxable base for these transactions is specified in boxes 32 and 34, while boxes 33 and 35 show the customs duties.
  
• Boxes 36 through 39: If you have an intra-community VAT number and have conducted transactions within the EU, specify the taxable base of current expenses in box 36 and that of investment goods in box 38. Lastly, enter the VAT amount in boxes 37 and 39.
  
• Boxes 40 and 41: These two boxes are used to correct deduction errors, acting like a supplementary declaration. If you missed an invoice in a previous declaration, enter the amount here as a positive value; if you declared an amount higher than it should be, enter that amount as a negative value.
  
• Box 44: You need to complete this box only if you are filing Form 303 for the fourth quarter. If so, input the amount that corresponds to any adjustments needed for deviations when calculating the final prorated percentage.
  
• Box 45: This box shows the total VAT to be deducted. The system automatically calculates the total by summing the values in boxes 29, 31, 33, 35, 37, 39, 41, 42, 43 and 44.
  
• Box 46: The result of your return will automatically appear here, calculated by subtracting the value in boxes 27 and 25. If the result is positive, this will be the amount you need to pay to the AEAT. If the result is negative, the Treasury will issue the appropriate payment.
  
• Boxes 47 through 58: These boxes are visible only if you are operating under the simplified regime. The initial step involves specifying the modules to determine the VAT owed on the sales. Next, subtract the deductible VAT for current operations, then add an additional 1% of the accrued VAT to account for expenses that are difficult to substantiate.
  
• Boxes 65 and 66: If your business activity is taxed by the Spanish state administration and the Basque Country or Navarre regions (called chartered regime communities), enter in box 65 the percentage of operations conducted in the rest of Spain. The calculated amount from this percentage will appear in box 66 automatically.
  
• Box 68: This section details the changes in annual withholding that occur in the Basque Country and Navarre, which is the outcome of the yearly adjustment. You need to complete this only if you are paying VAT for the fourth quarter. Make sure to use the correct sign, whether negative or positive.
  
• Box 71: The final result of the settlement will automatically appear in this box.
  

3. Section 4

If box 71 shows a negative result, you need to note it in this section for the AEAT to apply the correct adjustment in the next quarter.

4. Section 5

Check this box if your business had no business activity during the quarter for which you are paying tax. You must still submit Form 303 even if there was no activity in the quarter and the tax document is empty.

5. Section 6

If the return result is negative and you are filing VAT for the fourth quarter, you can use this section to request a refund from the AEAT.

6. Section 7

Enter your bank account number here for the Treasury to issue your refund.

Typically, completing Form 303 isn’t too difficult, but we gathered the key points to help clear up the most common questions.

We hope this guide helps you to file your next quarterly VAT return in Spain. Note that Stripe’s revenue and finance automation platform can help you simplify your financial processes, speed up the filing of returns such as the one we’ve just described, and reduce manual errors. Still, if you have any questions about how the nuances of any of the boxes on Form 303 might affect your business, check with your tax advisor.