Spain: Business, Taxation and Investment
2026 Guide to taxation, companies and investment in Spain and the Canary Islands
A practical guide to understanding the Spanish corporate and tax system, assessing real estate investments and exploring the specific features of the Canary Islands Economic and Tax Regime (REF). The digital edition can be downloaded free of charge from this page.
- 27 chapters with practical cases and checklists
- Updated to legislation available as at 18 September 2026
- Written by Renato Spizzichino, Tax, Corporate and Real Estate Advisor
Download the 2026 digital edition free of charge
Access the complete PDF of Spain: Business, Taxation and Investment, by Renato Spizzichino, updated as at 18 September 2026.
Free digital edition 2026
Why download it
Spain offers a broad and complex corporate, tax and real estate framework, in which national rules are coordinated with the powers of the Autonomous Communities, local taxation and European and international law. This guide presents the system through a progressive, practical approach.
A single volume
It brings together the general Spanish regime and the specific features of the Canary Islands in a single volume.
Accurate terminology
It uses the legal and tax terminology of the Spanish system.
Rules and exceptions
It distinguishes general rules from territorial exceptions and specific incentives.
Theory and practice
It combines technical explanations, practical consequences, cases and checklists.
Checks in advance
It helps identify in advance the documentation, taxes and checks required.
Italy and Spain
It covers tax relations between Italy and Spain, including international inheritance and gifts.
Canary Islands and the REF
In the Canary Islands, the archipelago's own Economic and Tax Regime must also be taken into account. A dedicated part of the guide examines IGIC, AIEM, ZEC, RIC and the other REF incentives, as well as vivienda vacacional, real estate investment and inheritance on the islands.
See our Canary Islands practice- ZEC: Zona Especial Canaria and access requirements
- RIC: investment reserve and qualifying uses
- Investment deductions and employment incentives
- AIEM and the local indirect tax (IGIC)
- Economic substance: what is genuinely required
Who the guide is for
Business owners and directors
Those operating in Spain or assessing a business activity, a company incorporation or a corporate transaction.
Professionals and self-employed
Those working, or planning to work, in Spain who need to understand taxation, Social Security and RETA.
Investors and individuals
Those considering a real estate investment, a relocation or an asset transaction, including between Italy and Spain.
What you will find in the guide
27 chapters complemented by practical cases, checklists and legislative and institutional references.
- Tax residence, NIE, NIF, tax domicile and digital certificate
- Legal forms, company incorporation, shareholders and directors
- Self-employed persons, Social Security and RETA classification
- Corporate Income Tax, IRPF, IRNR, VAT and reporting obligations
- Purchase, ownership, letting and sale of real estate in Spain
- Domestic and international inheritance and gifts, with attention to Italy–Spain situations
- Canary Islands Economic and Tax Regime: IGIC, AIEM, ZEC, RIC and other incentives
- Vivienda vacacional, real estate investment and inheritance in the Canary Islands
- Practical cases and checklists for the main transactions
- Legislative sources and institutional portals to consult
About the author
Renato Spizzichino is a Tax, Corporate and Real Estate Advisor and has been practising since 1985. Over more than forty years of professional activity, he has advised companies, business owners, professionals and individuals on corporate, tax and asset matters, with particular experience in transactions involving Italy and Spain, international taxation and real estate investment.
He has also been practising professionally in Spain for twelve years, where he has developed in-depth knowledge of both the national corporate and tax system and the specific features of the Canary Islands and their Economic and Tax Regime. He is the founder and director of Value Advisor SRLS and works through offices in Rome, Madrid and Las Palmas.
Disclaimer: the information in the guide is intended for general informational and practical purposes and does not replace professional analysis of the specific case or verification of the legislation in force on the date of the transaction.
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Download the 2026 digital edition free of charge
Access the complete PDF of Spain: Business, Taxation and Investment, by Renato Spizzichino, updated as at 18 September 2026.