Self-employed or a company in Spain?
If you want to work for yourself in Spain, you can register as self-employed (autónomo) or set up a limited company (SL). The right choice depends on how much you expect to earn and how much risk you take on.
Working as an autónomo
- Quick to start: you register with the tax office and Social Security.
- In your first year you usually pay a reduced flat Social Security fee of about €80 a month. After that, the fee depends on your real income.
- Every quarter you file VAT and an income tax payment. Once a year, your income tax return.
Setting up a limited company (SL)
- Your personal assets are kept apart from the business.
- The company pays corporate tax on its profit. You pay personal tax on what you take out as salary or dividends.
- More paperwork: full accounts and annual accounts filed with the Companies Registry.
When does a company make sense?
There is no single figure. A company usually starts to pay off when your profit grows and you do not need to take all of it out. We work it out with your numbers.
Just arrived in Spain? Check the Beckham Law first. Ordinary self-employed work usually does not qualify, so the timing of your registration matters.
What we do
- Register you as autónomo or set up your company
- Quarterly and annual taxes
- Bookkeeping
- Move you from autónomo to a company when it pays off
Thinking of working with us as a freelancer or company? Book a free call and we will tell you how we work and what it costs.
Need a full comparison with your own figures first? Book a paid consultation. If you then hire us, we deduct it.