As a freelancer in Spain, paying the Social Security fee (cuota de autónomos) is one of the obligations that come with registering with the Special Regime for Self-Employed Workers (RETA). Registering with the RETA is a compulsory step for anyone who is working as a freelancer in Spain.
Once you are registered as autónomo with the Social Security, it will be your responsibility to start paying the fee.
Xolo assists with the registration and de-registration and there are no further tax reports that need to be submitted.
How often is the Social Security fee charged?
Social Security will charge your monthly fee on the last working day of the month by direct debit from your bank account –don't forget to have enough funds in your bank account by then!
☝️ If you register as autónomo before the 15th day of the month, the Social Security will charge you the proportional part. If you register after the 15th day of the month, the proportional part of that month's contribution will be charged on the last day of the following month, together with the current month's contribution.
The bank account for the Social Security fee will be the one you used when you registered as autónomo. If you want to change it, you will have to contact the Social Security personally, as we cannot change it for you. Here are the banks accepted by the Social Security for the payment of your monthly fee.
How much will I have to pay?
If this is your first year as a freelancer and it is the first time you have registered as such, your contribution will be reduced, i.e. you will have the ‘reduced rate’.
This benefit applies throughout your first year of activity and if you meet these two requirements:
- You have never been registered as a freelancer
- You were self-employed but you deregistered more than two years ago.
If you do not meet these requirements (or you have never ceased to be self-employed), your contribution will depend on the contribution base you choose and whether there are any reductions applicable in your case.
From 2023, the contribution base and fees are calculated according to the net monthly income from your activity and, depending on this, you will be included in one of the different brackets set by the Social Security.
Here is our calculator to help you check which contribution base and fee you would be expected to pay.
If you have any questions about which contribution base to choose, do not hesitate to contact our team of experts ayuda@xolo.io.
Can I deduct this fee as an expense?
Yes. Autónomos can deduct their payment from the Social Security fee as well as health insurance or membership payments to professional associations. And you can do it without an invoice.
It will be enough to provide as proof the bank statement in which all your personal details and the data of the operation can be seen.