Spanish Legal Terms / Property Law Glossary
A transaltion of common words employed in Spanish Law
Abogado
A Lawyer, Attorney or Solicitor : Somebody qualified to practice law Administrador
A Manager or Administrator : More so, when managing the affairs of a group of Spanish home owners Acta
Minutes of Meeting : A written account of what transpired at a meeting Al Contado
Cash or money : For instance when looking at a purchase order which states "Contado" as the payment term/Condicion De Pago. Albacea
The Executor of a Last Will & Testament : Executor is the one in charge by a testador or a judge to fulfill the last will and to guard the goods of a passed away person (the descendant's estate). Alquiler
To Rent something - for example renting a flat or house. Arbitrio sobre el incremento
A Capital Gains Tax applied to the perceived increase in the market value of land, otherwise known as "Plus Valía". Asegurar
To Insure : Example - asegurar el éxito de una empresa, to ensure the success of a project
Asesor Fiscal
Financial Adviser, Tax Consultant, Accountant : A financial expert who gives advice on Tax and Financial matters. Autorización de residencia
Residence Permit or the right of residency within Spain. There are temporary and permanent permits available. If a foreigner is granted a temporary residence permiot, that individual is legally allowed to stay in Spain more than 90 days but no longer than 5 years. Ayuntamiento
Town Hall : Government buildings that contain administrative offices of a town government. Certificado de cambio de divisas
A Certificate of Exchange of foreign monetary currency convereted in to Spanish Pesetas (ESP). Certificado de empadronamiento
A Certificate showing that an individual lives in or is the legal owner of a property within a certain municipality of Spain Certificado penal
A Certificate of prison records or legal judgements against an individual Cobrar
To cash a cheque or to receive a payment Comprador
A Purchaser or a Buyer Compensación extranjera
A compensation applied as a percentage deduction from Spanish Income Tax - in order to allow for tax paid abroad by foreigners living in Spain. Comunidad de Propietarios
The "Owners association" based within a complex or appartment block
Consorcio de copropietarios
Association of co-owners
Contrato de compraventa
A Contract of Sale or Purchase Contract Contribución dineraria extranjera
Required in order to start a business in Spain by non-EC individuals, this equates to a foreign money contribution. Contribución Urbana
Municipal Real Estate Tax - Now the IBIA. Cuenta corriente
A cheque account in a high street bank Declaración de impuesto
A Tax Return made by an individual Declaración de obra nueva
A Declaration and Registration of a new Building, House or Land Development. Declaración de renta
An Income Tax Return Demanda
A Lawsuit : A comprehensive term for any proceeding in a court of law whereby an individual or corporation seeks a legal remedy Documento unificado
The Combined Work and Residence Permit Domiciliación de pagos
A Standing Order to Bank for payment of electric, water, tax bills, etc Escritura de compraventa
A Notarized Contract of Sale and Purchase Escritura pública
A Notarized and Registered Deed of Title to Property
Estatutos
By-laws, Statutes : Applied more so to "owners associations" of condominium apartment buildings
Fideicomisos De Administracion
Administrative trusts
Gastos
Costs and Expenses
Hacienda
The Government Treasury, Ministry of Finance or Ministry of Taxes. Hipoteca
A Spanish Mortgage : A conditional conveyance of property as security for the repayment of a loan Honorarios
Fees : A fixed charge for a privilege or for professional services Impuesto sobre Actividades Económicas (IAE)
This tax replaces the former fiscal licence for professionals and business operators
Impuesto sobre Bienes
The "impuesto sobre bienes" has now replaced the previous "contribución urbana" (urban contribution) as the annual municipal tax on real estate (IBI) Inmuebles (IBI)
Real Estate Tax Impuesto de transmisiones patrimoniales
Real Estate Transfer Tax : Any tax levied on the passing of title to property Impuesto extraordinario sobre el partimonio
Capital Assets Tax or Wealth Tax Impuesto municipal sobre la renta de las personas físicas
Income tax : A personal tax levied on annual income Ley de arrendamientos urbanos
Laws Covering renting apartments or houses. Letting Law as applied to towns and cities Ley de la propiedad horizontal
Real Estate Law setting for the legal framework for condominium buildings, and rights and obligations of individual owners Licencia de aperture
A Licence to conduct business or begin a new business venture in Spain Licencia fiscal
Superceeded in 1992 by the IAE, this was the former annual business licence Memoria
A complete documentation of all construction materials and building specifications for new property developments. Número de identificación de extranjeros (NIE)
Tax Id Number : Applied to foreigners. Parcela
A Plot of Land that is to be built upon. Patrimonio
Patrimony or Capital Assets : An inheritance coming by right of birth (especially by primogeniture) Plan Parcial
A Plan or Scale drawing of building plots in a planned housing or property development Poder
Proxy (A person authorized to act for another) or Power of Attorney (A power of attorney document given by shareholders of a corporation authorizing a specific vote on their behalf at a corporate meeting) Registro de la Propiedad
The Spanish Property Registrar Residente
A Spanish Resident: Legal Holder of an Official Spanish Residence Permit which is either permanent or temporary in nature
Retención
Tax withheld from an individual's earnings, salary, rental income or bank accounts etc.
Solicitud
A Petition (A formal message requesting something that is submitted to an authority), Request, Application
Tarjeta Comunitaria
EC Registration Card
Temporada
Short Period of Time Testamento
A Last Will and Testament Todos los gastos
All charges, often stipulated in Home Purchase Contract to buyer
Traspaso
A Transfer of a property or the lease of Property Trimestre
A Quarter: As in a unit of time (3 months) - quarterly payment urbanización
A Housing Estate : A residential area where the houses were all planned and built at the same time Valor Catastral
For Tax Purposes, this is an Official Valuation of land, property, a home etc Visado de residencia
The Visa required for living in Spain for a period of time greater than that allowed for transient tourists |
