English-Speaking Accountant in Barcelona for Autónomos and Companies

We are a gestoría in Barcelona that handles the tax and accounting obligations of self-employed foreigners (autónomos) and small companies (SL), in English. Every quarter we prepare and file your returns, every year we close your annual returns and accounts, and in between we deal with the letters and notifications from the Tax Agency and Social Security, so nothing reaches a deadline without you knowing.

Autónomo plan: from 50 € + VAT a month. Company (SL) plan: from 100 € + VAT a month. We confirm the exact fee before you start, based on your activity and how many invoices you issue.

Two plans, depending on how you work

Autónomo plan (self-employed)

For freelancers, consultants and digital nomads registered as autónomo. Included in the monthly fee:

• Quarterly VAT return (modelo 303) and income tax prepayment (modelo 130) when it applies to you.
• Annual VAT summary (modelo 390).
• Keeping your record books from the invoices and expenses you send us.
• Reading and answering ordinary notifications from the Tax Agency and Social Security.
• Changes in your tax and Social Security registrations: a new activity, a change of address, a change in your contribution base or deregistration.
• Questions by email or WhatsApp, in English.

Your annual income tax return (modelo 100) is quoted on its own, because it depends on your personal situation and on any income you have from abroad.

Company plan (SL)

For limited companies with a small team or no employees. A company has more obligations than an autónomo, and they are the company’s, not yours personally:

• Quarterly VAT returns (modelo 303) and the annual VAT summary (modelo 390).
• Quarterly withholding returns when the company pays professionals, salaries or office rent.
• The company accounts and the annual corporate income tax return (modelo 200), with its instalments when they apply.
• The annual accounts and the official books filed with the Mercantile Registry.
• Informative returns that apply to your company, for example on operations with EU clients and suppliers.
• Notifications from the Tax Agency, Social Security and the Registry.

The company plan starts from 100 € + VAT a month. We confirm the exact fee after a short review: what the company does, how many invoices it issues, whether it has employees and whether it trades with other EU countries.

Gestor, accountant or tax advisor?

In Spain a gestoría does what in other countries is split between an accountant, a tax preparer and an administrative agent: the books, the tax returns and the paperwork with the Administration. For a foreigner that is the practical choice, because the same team that files your VAT can also deal with your residence card, your digital certificate or a letter from Social Security. If your situation needs a specific tax opinion, for example on the Beckham Law or on income from several countries, we tell you before you decide.

Who this service is for

• Foreign freelancers and consultants registered as autónomo in Barcelona, with clients in Spain, in the EU or outside it.
• Digital nomad visa holders working as freelancers, who have to keep their activity within the conditions of the visa.
• Founders of a small SL who want the company in order without hiring an in-house accountant.
• People who have been filing on their own or with an app and have received a letter they do not understand.

If you are not registered yet, start with our autónomo and SL setup page; it explains which of the two suits you before you register.

Mistakes we see most often

• Not knowing the quarterly deadlines exist. Many foreigners register, invoice for months and only find out about the quarterly returns when a letter arrives. A missed quarter has to be filed late, which can mean surcharges.
• Applying the wrong VAT to foreign clients. Invoicing a client in another EU country or outside the EU follows different rules from invoicing a Spanish client, and it still has to be declared.
• Ignoring electronic notifications. An electronic notification left unopened for ten calendar days is treated as rejected and the procedure goes on as if you had received it, so the deadline to reply runs without you knowing.
• Losing track of Spanish clients on a digital nomad visa. As a freelancer on the visa, at most 20% of your income can come from Spanish clients. We keep an eye on that proportion as you invoice. More on the visa on our digital nomad visa page.
• Treating the company money as your own. In an SL the company and the partners are separate: withdrawing money without a salary, a dividend or a documented loan creates problems in the accounts and in your personal tax.
• Keeping no record of expenses. Expenses without a proper invoice usually cannot be deducted, and that only shows up when the return is prepared.

How we start

1. You tell us about your activity or your company: what you do, who your clients are and roughly how many invoices you issue.
2. We confirm the monthly fee and exactly what it covers.
3. You give us access through your digital certificate or an authorisation, so we can file and receive notifications for you.
4. Each month you send us your invoices and expenses; before each quarterly filing we send you the figures, so you know in advance what there is to pay.

If you have been filing on your own, we review what has been filed so far and tell you if anything needs correcting before we take over.

Prices

• Autónomo plan: from 50 € + VAT a month, for an activity with no employees and a moderate number of invoices.
• Company (SL) plan: from 100 € + VAT a month, confirmed after reviewing your company.
• Annual income tax return of the autónomo (modelo 100): quoted separately, depending on your situation.
• Payroll, tax inspections, appeals and the correction of periods filed by someone else are quoted separately.

One-off services you may need: autónomo registration 90 € + VAT, SL incorporation 990 € + VAT, digital certificate 80 € + VAT. All our prices are shown without VAT; the taxes and contributions themselves are paid directly by you or your company. The full list is on our packs and services page.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to file returns if I had no income in a quarter? In general yes. Being registered as self-employed means the quarterly returns are due even when the result is zero, so we file them in every quarter you are registered.

I only have clients outside Spain. Do I still file VAT returns? Yes. Invoices to foreign clients may not carry Spanish VAT, but they still have to be declared in the quarterly and annual VAT returns.

Do you also handle companies? Yes. For a limited company we handle the quarterly returns, the accounts, the corporate income tax return and the annual accounts at the Mercantile Registry. The company plan starts from 100 € + VAT a month, confirmed after a short review of the company.

Can you take over if I have been filing on my own? Yes. We review what has been filed so far, tell you if anything needs correcting and continue from the next quarter. Correcting past periods is quoted separately.

Do I need a digital certificate? It is the practical way to work, because Social Security and the Tax Agency notify the self-employed and companies electronically. It lets us see and answer notifications for you without delay.

Tax rules, forms and filing periods can change, so we confirm the current ones for your activity when we review your case.