Many self-employed individuals and Spanish companies consider the VAT they pay on their hotel bills, trade fairs, fuel, or vehicle rentals when traveling in Europe as a "major expense." However, this tax is recoverable through a specific procedure that allows you to request a refund from the tax authorities of other member states without needing to be registered there.
Two ways to recover your money: Quarterly or Annual?
The regulations allow you to group invoices in different periods according to your business's liquidity needs and spending volume:
Quarterly Request (Ideal for large expenses): If you have accumulated VAT amounts of400 euros or morein a single country so far this year, you can request your refund immediately. This month of April, for example, is the perfect time to process what corresponds to the first quarter of the year.
Annual Request (For smaller expenses):I f your expenses have not been that high, don't worry: you do not lose the right to a refund. You can wait until the end of the calendar year to submit a global request. In this case, the minimum threshold for the tax authorities to accept the process significantly drops to 50 euros.
Deadlines you should not forget
Although the process is flexible, there are non-negotiable deadlines. The refund request must be submitted by, at the latest, September 30 of the following year to the one in which the fees were incurred. However, since Contaldia we recommend not waiting until the last moment to avoid issues with incorrectly issued invoices or information requests from foreign authorities
What expenses can be included?
Each country has its own rules, but generally, you can recover VAT from:
Accommodation, meals, and catering.
Transportation, taxis, and car rentals.
Tickets to congresses, fairs, and professional events.
Tolls and fuel.
At Contaldia, we help you with Model 360
The management of these refunds is done electronically through the Spanish Tax Agency using the Model 360. The process requires technical rigor, as expenses must be correctly classified according to European codes and copies of invoices exceeding certain amounts must be attached.
At Contaldia, we are specialists in taxation and we want your company to recover every last euro it is entitled to:
We prepare your Model 360 ensuring that all information meets the requirements.
We submit the application to the AEAT on your behalf.
We follow up until the money is deposited in your bank account.
How to Calculate Model 347 with Odoo
Don't let the VAT incurred abroad become a lost cost. Contact us today and we will start your application to improve your business's liquidity.
More than 50,000 companies use Odoo
to grow their business.
Join us to make your company a better place.