Autónomo Starter Checklist

Your NIE (Número de Identificación de Extranjero) is your foreigner identification number in Spain. You'll need it for many official and financial procedures, including becoming an autónomo.

If you don't already have one, this is the first thing to get sorted.

Before becoming an autónomo, you'll need to ensure that your immigration or residency status allows you to work as self-employed in Spain.

What you need will depend on your nationality and individual circumstances. For example, this could include registering as an EU resident or obtaining an appropriate visa or residence authorisation, such as Spain's Digital Nomad Visa where applicable.

You'll normally need to provide bank account details when you register as an autónomo so that your monthly Social Security contributions can be collected by direct debit.

We recommend opening a Spanish bank account. It will make managing your finances in Spain easier and can also be used to pay your taxes by direct debit.

Getting this in place before registration will make the process much easier.

You'll need a way to securely identify yourself when accessing Spanish government services online. A Digital Certificate or Cl@ve allows you to access services from organisations such as Hacienda and Social Security, complete procedures online and access official notifications.

Once you start working with a gestor, you can also authorise them to act on your behalf for certain procedures, including managing and filing your tax returns.

We recommend obtaining a Digital Certificate, as it's accepted by most Spanish public administrations and gives you a convenient way to manage official procedures online.

Once you have everything in place, it's time to get registered as an autónomo. This normally involves registering your activity with Hacienda first, followed by registration with Social Security under the self-employed regime (RETA).

This is where we recommend working with a professional gestor. They'll make sure you're registered correctly, taking your individual circumstances into account.

Registration is a collaborative process. Your gestor will take care of the registration, but they'll need you to provide all the information and documentation they request so they can complete it correctly.

Hola Gestoría's Autónomo Registration service connects you with a professional gestor who can manage the registration process with you.

Once you're registered, the next step is to get your ongoing accounting in place. You'll have quarterly and annual tax obligations, so it makes sense to continue working with a gestor who already has some insight into your business and circumstances.

With our Autónomo Accounting service, your chosen gestor can manage your ongoing accounting and tax returns. You'll also be able to use our free Hola Finance app to manage your invoices and expenses, with your gestor having direct access to the information they need.

Once you're registered and ready to start trading, you'll need a way to create and manage your invoices.

Invoices in Spain must meet Hacienda's requirements, including your full name, NIF and address, the required customer and transaction details, sequential invoice numbering, and the appropriate IVA (VAT) treatment and, where applicable, IRPF (income tax withholding).

Hola Finance is our free invoicing and expense management app, designed to make managing your day-to-day finances straightforward. You can create invoices, keep track of your expenses and have everything you need in one place.

It's also important to keep the appropriate invoices and supporting documents for your business expenses and to record them as you go, rather than waiting until the end of the quarter.

If you're using our Autónomo Accounting service, your chosen gestor automatically gets access to your information in Hola Finance, so there's no need to send them your invoices and expenses each quarter.

As an autónomo, you'll have ongoing tax and filing obligations throughout the year. The returns that apply to you will depend on your activity and individual circumstances.

If you're using our Autónomo Accounting service, your gestor will prepare and submit the appropriate returns for you. They'll also help manage the ongoing administration associated with your autónomo activity, including relevant dealings with Hacienda and Social Security.

Your monthly Social Security contribution will normally be collected automatically by direct debit, so make sure there are sufficient funds in your nominated Spanish bank account when the payment is due. If you've chosen to pay any taxes due by direct debit, you'll also need to make sure sufficient funds are available when those payments are collected.

Remember, working with a gestor is a collaborative process. You'll need to provide any additional information or documentation they request in good time and let them know if your circumstances change. Your gestor can only meet filing deadlines and keep your registrations up to date if they have the information they need from you.

Using Hola Finance makes this easier. Your gestor already has access to the invoices and expenses you've recorded in the app, reducing the amount of information you need to send them each quarter.

You'll find the key tax periods, filing deadlines and other important dates in our Autónomo Tax Year at a Glance section.

As an autónomo, you'll also need to have an annual Spanish Income Tax Return filed, known as the Declaración de la Renta, or simply Renta.

Your Renta is filed the following year, with Renta season running from April to June. It takes into account your income from your autónomo activity for the previous tax year, along with any other income and relevant personal circumstances.

Your quarterly tax returns don't replace your Renta; it's a separate annual obligation. By the time Renta season arrives, you'll already be into a new tax year, with your first quarterly returns for that year falling due in April. Your ongoing accounting therefore continues alongside your Renta for the previous year.

Renta filing itself isn't included in our Autónomo Accounting service. It's dealt with separately because it's filed in the following tax year and needs to take into account your wider personal tax circumstances, not just your autónomo activity.

When the time comes, you can arrange your Renta through Hola Gestoría with your chosen gestor. Our Renta Filing service has a starting price rather than a fixed price because every person's circumstances are different and some returns are more complex than others. Your gestor will assess what's required before confirming the price for preparing and filing your return.

You'll find the key Renta dates in our Autónomo Tax Year at a Glance section.