Selling a home in Barcelona: taxes and fees you pay, exemptions and how to pay less
Which taxes and fees you pay when selling a home in Barcelona and Catalonia: capital gains, municipal plusvalía, deductible costs, reinvestment and over-65 relief.
Moving home, city or country usually means selling. These are the taxes due and the legal ways to reduce them.
Capital gains tax
For Spanish tax residents, the gain is taxed at 19% to 30% depending on the amount. EU non-residents pay 19%.
What you can deduct
- From the purchase price: transfer tax or VAT paid, notary, land registry, admin fees and invoiced improvement works (not maintenance).
- From the sale price: agency fees, municipal plusvalía and the energy certificate.
Exemptions
- Reinvestment in a main residence within two years, if the home sold was your main residence for three years (unless for justified reasons such as a job change or separation).
- Over 65: selling your main residence is exempt without reinvesting.
If you are leaving Spain
Once you are non-resident, the buyer withholds 3% of the price and the reinvestment exemption is generally lost. Selling before changing tax residence can cost far less.
Our fixed fee of €14,000 + VAT is also deductible, instead of a percentage.
Own a home in Barcelona's Zona Alta? L'Agence Barcelona sells homes in Sarrià, Sant Gervasi, Pedralbes, Les Corts, Eixample and Gràcia for a fixed fee of €14,000 + VAT, with home optimisation and full management through to the notary. Get a free valuation based on real sale prices within 24 to 48 hours.
Sources: Spanish Tax Agency (Personal Income Tax Law 35/2006, arts. 33 and 38; 2026 savings rates), Law 5/2019 on mortgage credit, Barcelona city council (IIVTNU). General information, not a substitute for personal tax advice.