Reporting Assets Outside Spain. Form 720

Tax regulations and links to understand how to fill new Spanish tax form-720.

Form 720: Declaration of Assets Abroad. This form must be filled by all spanish residents owning assets abroad over 50.000 euros. This obligation must be fulfilled during first quarter of each year. Although this first year it is possible to fill until April 30th 2013.

In the model must be declared,

  1. accounts abroad in financial institutions,
  2. stocks, bonds, values, financial rights, and savings in insurance companies, deposited, managed or obtained abroad
  3. all types of Real Estate and rights over Real Estate abroad.

Each of the three blocks of goods, constitutes an obligation of different information to be provided, but the three reporting obligations are articulated through the same form. In this way three reporting obligations would be fulfilled by completing the form 720 informing all goods and rights with respect to the obligation to inform

It is excluded from this obligation to declare when the value thereof does not exceed 50,000 € for each type of assets. The presentation in successive years, after presenting form 720 for the first time will be mandatory when the value declared increases by more than 20.000 €.

The Declaration includes a record for each property situated abroad. For each record indicating its type and subtype:

‘C’:Accounts opened in  banking or credit entities located abroad.

  1. Current account.
  2. Savings account.
  3. Term deposits.
  4. Credit accounts.
  5. Other accounts.

·”V”: Securities or rights located overseas representative of participation in any type of legal entity, values located overseas representative of the transfer of capital to third parties or provided for its management or administration to any legal instrument, including trusts and “trusts” or mass though lacking legal personality, capable of acting in the course of trade.

  1. Values or rights of participation in any type of legal entity. As shares and participations in companies.
  2. Representative values of the transfer of capital to third parties. Bonds …
  3. Values provided for its management or administration to any legal instrument, including trusts and “trusts” or mass heritage which, though lacking legal personality, capable of acting in the course of trade

· ‘I’: shares and participations in share capital or equity fund of collective investment institutions located abroad. In this case there is no subtype.

· “S”: life insurance (savings not risk) or disability and pension time or annuities, whose insurance companies are located overseas.

  1. Insurance life or disability, whose insurance company is located abroad.
  2. Temporary or life income generated as a result of the deposit of capital, abroad.

· “B”: ownership and real rights over properties located abroad.

  1. Ownership of the property.
  2. Actual use or enjoyment and bare ownership rights over real estate.
  3. Timeshares, timeshares shifts, part-time property or similar formulas on real estate.
  4. Other rights in rem over real estate. In this case you must describe it.

It must file a return if any of those paragraphs (1:C, 2:V, I, S, or 3: B) exceds the figure of 50,000 euros, and only those sections in which the figure is over 50,000 euros.

Information to provide

Information to supply include, open accounts in financial institutions, the balances of these accounts on December 31st, the average balance for the last quarter of the year and the date of opening. All holders, authorized…  at 31 December shall declare the balance at 31 December and average balance. … Authorized holders who have ceased to be during the year, indicate only the balance of the day ceased to be holders, authorized…

In terms of the ownership of the account should be indicated if the declarant is:

  1. Holder
  2. Representative
  3. Authorized
  4. Beneficiary
  5. Usufructuary
  6. Taker
  7. With power of disposal
  8. Other forms of real property

In the case of Real Estate shall include the date and the value of acquisition, and the date of opening or cancellation of right over Real Estate and, in the case of values, rights, insurance and income deposited or managed abroad, the balance at 31 December of each year. And where appropriate the amount of transfer or sale.

The breach of this obligation has consequences on income tax and corporation tax.

Assets not declared, that cannot be proved its ownership arousing from declared income or assets, will be considered income to be taxed, and a 150% punishment over the value of them.

Penalty for not filling, filling incomplete, filing with non accurate data, will be punished with 100 euros per data with a minimum of 10.000 euros.

Cooperation with other States

On the other hand, Royal Decree approved today partially to Spanish law transposes the Community directive on administrative cooperation in the field of taxation. Thus, reinforcing cooperation in the exchange of information between countries needed for the liquidation of taxes.

Among other issues, is attributed to the tax agency competition to formulate requests for mutual assistance to other States or international organizations. This provides legal security to be achieved greater agility in the process of mutual assistance.

And already a few years ago the tax agency began to provide tax information for citizens of the EU to their respective countries through the model 299 which is filled by Spanish financial institutions, collected and processed by Tax Authority, and information send to respective countries.

The Government aims to deepen in the coming months in this type of agreements for the exchange of information, both to improve the collection of taxes, and to enhance the fight against tax fraud.

Example of filling in data for a current account

Frequently asked questions:

Important note: the obligation to submit a declaration in the case of co-ownership of a good, relies on the value of the asset, not in the value of the percentage owned.

the following questions and answers are taken from the AEAT website:http://www.agenciatributaria.es/AEAT.internet/Inicio_es_ES/La_Agencia_Tributaria/Campanas/Declaraciones_informativas_2012/_INFORMACION/Ayuda/Preguntas_frecuentes__Modelo_720/Obligacion_de_declarar/Obligacion_de_declarar.shtml

1.-Must be filed a Form 720 when ownership of a bank account abroad is shared  and  whose balance at 31 December exceed the €50.000, but whose ownership corresponds to several people?

  • There is a reporting obligation on the bank account when this limit is exceeded (if none of the other exceptions to the obligation to declare apply) regardless of the number of the account holders. Must be informed total balances, indicating the percentage of participation.

 2.-Must be filed a Form 720 when sharing ownership of Real Estate located abroad whose acquisition value exceeds the €50,000, at 31 December but whose ownership corresponds to several people?

  • Yes, there is a reporting obligation on the property when this limit is exceeded (if none of the other exceptions to the obligation to declare apply) regardless of the number of owners. Must be informed total acquisition value, indicating the percentage of participation.

3.-If a person ceases to be authorized in an account of a financial institution located abroad on June 2012 must file form 720? in that case, which has to be balance and the date to be reported?

  • There is obligation to declare if the balance that existed in the account on the date of the revocation of the authorization, if happened by the end of year would had determined obligation to declare by 31 December.
  • The content of the Declaration in connection with this account in the event that there is obligation to declare it must inform about:
    • Business name or full name of the Bank or credit as well as his home.
    • The complete identification of the account.
    • The date of the revocation of the authorization.
    • The account balance at the date in which I leave be authorized.

4. Do I need to declare pension schemes contracted abroad?

  • There is no obligation of information about pensions plans  (for contributions to them or capital into them) as long as is not fulfilled the requirement that is covered by the scheme and capital is withdrawn.

5-When an individual moved abroad once started the exercise and must file the tax on the income of natural persons by this exercise. Are you required to file also the information model with respect to the property and rights abroad?

  • Yes, provided in accordance with the regulation of these three obligations of information is obliged to fill form 720

6.- If a person is the “owner” of an account abroad whose balance at 31/12 is € 40,000 and is also “authorized” in other current account whose balance at 31/12 is €30,000, there is obligation to declare?

Yes, provided that no if no cause of exoneration.

7. Form Field “Tax Number in the country of fiscal residence”. There are no instructions what should be put in this box?

The instructions on how to fill concrete boxes are in the link that is up on the design of the model 720 records:

  • It will indicate the tax identification number of the entities declared in the previous field, assigned in the country or territory of residence tax.
  • This field will be blank when the “type of asset” take the value “B”.

Example: in the case of an account in the Bank Espirito Santo of Portugal, will be the VAT Number of this entity in Portugal.

8. Do I need to declare asset which have been sold during the financial year, and before 31 December has been reinvested in other assets?

No. When the loss of the status of owner or real owner referred to in the last paragraph of article 42 ter.1 have his origin in the transmission of values and rights, and the amount obtained had been entirely used in the acquisition of other securities or rights which must be declared, You only must declare balances at 31 December.

 

9. What exchange rate is used to value goods in foreign currency?

  • The European Central Bank official exchange rate will be used at December 31, for the balance at 31 December and for converting into euros fourth quarter average balance. BOE-Bank of Spain resolution
  • In the case of cancellations of accounts, the official rate on the date of cancellation will be used.
  • In the case of real estate, the value of acquisition, as well as in the rest of goods and rights subject to Declaration, must conform to the exchange rate prevailing on the date of December 31 for the year corresponding to the declared information.
Esta entrada fue publicada en English, IRPF, Sociedades. Guarda el enlace permanente.

462 respuestas a Reporting Assets Outside Spain. Form 720

  1. Susan Prescott dijo:

    My husband and I both have civil servants’ pensions from the UK wbich I understand have to be paid and taxed in the UK. As such do we have to declare them on the 720 ?

  2. ben dijo:

    Hi. I filed a 720 last year (in Gipuzkoa) as had more than E50K in bank accounts. This money has been used to buy a property (in Spain) and now I have no sizable assets outside of Spain. Do I still have to file a 720 declaration or do something else?

    Thanks

  3. Tony dijo:

    Hello, I’ve never had to file a Modelo 720 but this year my assests are at or just over the 50.000€ limit. I have a questions whether or not I will need to file the 720:
    1. When calculating if the value of a savings account and a value of securities is greater than 50.000€, is the value on 31 Dec. the valuation to be used or is the average balance for the last quarter of the year to be used?
    2. If I have 55.000€ in a foreign savings account on 1 Dec. and on 26 Dec. I purchase €15.000 in securities, leaving 40.000€ in the savings account and €15,000 in securities, will I need to file the 720 if the end of year savings account balance is less than 50.000€ (even though it was greater than 50.000€ at the beginning of December)?
    3. I have a foreign stock brokerage account with a balance of 48.000€ in stocks and 4000€ in cash savings. The total balance of the account is over 50.000€ but the stock portion is less than 50.000€. Do I need to declare this brokerage account as being greater than 50.000€ even if part is in cash savings?

    Many thanks for your response.

    • Dear Tony,
      Form 720 is like 3 different declarations in one form, one for accounts in finnancial institutions, one for stocks bonds investment funds and insurance policies, and de last one for real estate. Limit of 50.000 applies for each declaration, if bank accounts and real estate each group dont reach 50.000 euros you do not declare no one of this two blocks.

      Bank accounts, must be declared if balance by 31st December or average balance of last quarter exceeds 50.000.

      In your example, if transfering value from bank account to shares before the end of year, make bank accounts balance under 50.000, then you dont need to declare bank accounts, unless average balance 4th Q exceeds 50.000

      For bank accounts you need to add balance of all bank current, saving and term accounts plus liquidity in your broker account.

  4. Philip Carroll dijo:

    Hi Javier

    They must have changed the system then becuase there is an option in the electronic office to accept service of the letter online. I actually did this earlier this year and dealt with the letter online, all whilst I was in the UK. Once you open the letter online the clock starts ticking and a letter (which they do not send my mail) confirming ou have opened it electronically appears in your record. This is from the acknowledgement letter I received. My name and NE appear as well, but I have redacted those.

    RECIBO DE PRESENTACIÓN EN LA NOTIFICACIÓN MEDIANTE COMPARECENCIA ELECTRÓNICA EN LA SEDE ELECTRÓNICA DE LA AGENCIA TRIBUTARIA.

    XXXXXX XXXXXX XXXXXX X1234567N, en calidad de titular, ha accedido en la sede electrónica de la Agencia Estatal de Administración Tributaria al contenido del acto objeto de notificación, con fecha 05-09-2014 y hora 19:04:01, por lo que en esa fecha se han producido los efectos de la notificación

    • Yes, becouse you signed for “notificaciones electronicas” so they do not send letter by traditional mail.
      This system is mandatory for autonomos and companies.

      Best system is not to sign for “notificaciones electrónicas”, so they always need to send it by mail, even if you signed acknowledgment with certificado digital. So in case you losse your certificado digital or if you do not check on the computer you still receiving letters by mail.

  5. Bill Shaw dijo:

    Dear Javier,

    I have seen cases on the internet where a Spanish non resident property owner has been asked for a certificate of fiscal residency from the UK for 2012 as the Spanish tax office has deemed the person resident based on electricity readings. But they wrote to him at his Spanish address only giving him 10 days to produce it, my questions are.

    1. What happens if I am asked for one as a non resident and I am in the UK for periods of 3-4 months, I would not see the letter from the Tax office until it is too late, also the UK tax office takes longer than 10 days to produce the certificate, and sometimes will not issue one unless there is an income in Spain?

    2. Is the Spanish tax office now checking all non residents utility bills?

    Comments appreciated,

    Bill

    • Letters arrive by certificate post, so if you are not it cannot be delivered so 10 days time cannot start.
      Postman will leave a warning that a certificate was send to you.
      After approx 3 months Tax Authority will publish notification on The Spanish Official Newspaper (BOE.ES) so 10 days count will start after this is published.

      If they say you are Spanish resident and you do not comply, then will be assumed that you are Spanish tax resident.

      In most of cases this is an easy issue as Tax Authories apply internal Spanish regulation instead of Tax Convention, so it is VERY important to answer this letter for claiming your non residence.

      It is also VERY important, to fill Spanish declarations as non resident for your real estate. Becouse this also can be used for supporting your non residency status.

      • Philip Carroll dijo:

        If you have a digital ID you can register to receive email notifications of mail. Once you access the mail online the 10 day clock starts ticking. You can write them a letter saying you have applied for the certificate and upload this online. When you receive the certificate you can also upload this online.

        • For people (not companies) they send you by certificate mail, even if you have digital certificate.

          With digital certificate you can see at AEAT page, that you have a cetificate, but only when you sign with certificate reception, you will be able to see the letter and in that moment starts counting time.

  6. Brenda dijo:

    Hi!
    My husband is Spanish and I was a resident of Spain in 2012 and 2013. My husband filled out form 720 in 2012 because we have bank accounts in my home country of USA. He filled it out with all the information about our accounts and in 2013, did not have to file because the information did not change by 20,000 euros. However it has just dawned on me that my parents (living in the US) have me as a benificiary on all three of their accounts and as one of 4 authorized holders in another. Did this information have to be included in our past 720? If so, is there a way to go back and amend the 2012 form?

  7. Garry Oliver dijo:

    My wife and I are separated, but not divorced, does the model 720 need to be filled if our joint bank accounts exceed the 50,000 euro

    • If you have joint assets and not joint assets, 50.000 limit applies over total value of assets where you participate, not over your % on them.
      So if the only asset is a joint bank account of 52.000 you both if Spanish residents should fill form 720. But if you had two not joint account each one with 26.000 you don’t need to feel.

  8. Bernard Croxford dijo:

    Thank you, your answer is very comprehensive and highlights a mistake made by my assessor for 2013.

  9. Bernard Croxford dijo:

    When the form 720 is again submitted in January 2015 I need to know how to work out values of assets.
    The main block is a holding of stocks and shares. These were valued in the last year at their published share price in Sterling and converted into Euros at the EC rate of 31 December. For the coming declaration do I have to value the assets in Euros in a similar manner? The exchange rate can vary significantly from year end to year end.

    When reading the Hacienda published document on this I got the impression that the base data for the comparison will always be 31 Dec 2012. More sensibly it should be a comparison of the values from year end to the previous year end to assess the possible increase of the 20000 euros?

    Depending upon your answer and on the fact that there are several holdings within the stock list will all of these have to be listed again should their total value exceed a gain/loss of more than 20,000 euros?

    • Yes, they are valued at asset market value on the Dic 31st of the year to be declared, converted into euros at that date offical rate.
      And this year as GBP is revaluating may be you will need to declare because of this exchange rate improvement.

  10. Ian dijo:

    Thank you for your reply but according to you “Pension and declaration of Assets abroad” section of your website you say that British QROPS are not declarable on Modelo 720, only the income from this on the Renta. This was published on March 2 2013. Has this now changed.

  11. Ian dijo:

    I have a QROPS based in Malta and is held by Trustees and I have started to drawdown an annuity. I am a Spanish fiscal resident and I would declare the annuity each year on my Renta as income.

    Q1.Does the income from the annuity rate for lower rate tax?
    Q2. Do I need to complete Modelo 720 as this is not held by me.

    Thank you

    • Yes you need to file form 720

      Transfering your pension to qrops in Malta you avoided to pay taxes in UK. But now you pay in your country of residence.
      But how this is going to be taxed, needs deeper study

  12. Jo dijo:

    Hi. I wonder if you can help. My parents are residents in Spain however have not completed the tax return previously as they’re income was below the minimum limit needed to fill out the form, however now it appears that they should have filled in the return because their income comes from different sources. However that is not the main problem as that can be fairly easily sorted. The problem is that we were unaware of the obligation to send in form 720 last year . I know ignorance is not an excuse especially where Hacienda is concerned but that’s the way it is. Now I have been reading on the Internet about all the fines that could be imposed even if you send in the form late and am really concerned about my parents losing everything. Should they do the 720 for last year even though it is late or just do this years , late too?

    • You dont need to fill if all is true:
      1./wages pensions… are below 11.200 euros
      2./interest dividends capital gains are below 1.000 euros.

      If you want, give a call and we check it, may be is some way around.

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