How long does it take for the Treasury to pay the income tax refund?

The refund of the Income Tax is one of the most awaited moments for many taxpayers after submitting their annual tax return. This payment from the tax authorities constitutes a right of the taxpayer when, at the end of the fiscal year, it is determined that they have paid the Public Treasury an amount greater than what was legally due to them. Once the tax return has been submitted, if the result is to be refunded, the Tax Agency initiates the procedure to make the refund.

We will explain all the details of this process to you.

In accordance with Spanish tax regulations, specifically as established in the General Tax Law, the Treasury has a maximum period of six months to make the refund. This period begins to count from the last day of the ordinary deadline for filing the tax return, which generally ends on June 30. Therefore, the payment must be made, at the latest, before December 31 of the same year.

However, in practice, the Tax Agency tends to issue a large number of returns in a significantly shorter period. Returns submitted at the beginning of the campaign and that do not present any incidents are usually resolved in a matter of weeks. This agile process responds to the automation of verification systems and the volume of returns that are managed electronically.

Late payment interest

In cases where the Tax Agency does not meet the six-month deadline, the taxpayer is entitled to receive interest for delay on the amount to be returned. This interest is applied automatically, without the need for a prior claim by the interested party, and its rate is set annually in the General State Budget Law. This year it is 4.0625 percent. The purpose of this measure is to compensate for the economic damage resulting from the delay in payment.

It is important to note that some refunds may be delayed longer than usual due to errors in the declaration, complex deductions, lack of documentation or additional requirements by the administration. These factors may lengthen the process, but do not exempt the Treasury from its obligation to pay interest if the legal limit has been exceeded.

File consultation

On the other hand, the Tax Agency offers the possibility for taxpayers with a final result to return to consult the status of the refund. This consultation can be done by accessing the file through the Renda WEB draft/declaration processing service. Refunds are usually made by bank transfer.

If you need more information, do not hesitate to contact DATA AND SERVICES.