Beckham Law in Barcelona
The Beckham Law in Barcelona
Autonomous community: Catalonia
Barcelona is where the regime makes the biggest difference for a mid-to-senior salary. Catalonia has one of the steepest regional scales in Spain, which means the standard tax you avoid is high, and the flat 24% looks correspondingly good.
It is also the city with the largest concentration of remote employees of foreign companies, founders and start-up hires, so the routes are more varied here: telework, directors, the occasional ENISA entrepreneur.
What the regime is worth in Barcelona
Illustrative annual figures for a single employee with no other income, computed with the Catalonia scale, the one that applies to residents of Barcelona. Positive savings mean the regime pays; where the standard tax is already below 24% the cell says so.
| Gross salary | Standard IRPF | Standard effective rate | Beckham (24%) | Saving / year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| €60,000 | €15,000 | 25% | €14,400 | €600 |
| €80,000 | €23,500 | 29.4% | €19,200 | €4,300 |
| €100,000 | €32,300 | 32.3% | €24,000 | €8,300 |
| €120,000 | €41,500 | 34.6% | €28,800 | €12,700 |
| €150,000 | €55,500 | 37% | €36,000 | €19,500 |
| €200,000 | €79,200 | 39.6% | €48,000 | €31,200 |
Illustrative figures computed with the same engine as the calculator: single taxpayer, employment income only, individual personal allowance (€5,550), employee Social Security contributions (6.5% up to the 2026 maximum base), standard deductible expenses (€2,000), no family or regional deductions, state scale plus the regional scale of the community where the city sits (AEAT, tax year 2025 scales, the latest published). Rounded to the nearest €100. Regime: 24% up to €600,000, 47% above.
Particular to Barcelona
A steep regional scale
Catalonia’s regional scale reaches 25.5% from €175,000, on top of the state scale. The scale was reformed in 2025 and our engine uses the reformed version, checked against the AEAT manual.
Wealth tax from €500,000, on Spanish assets only
Catalonia charges wealth tax above €500,000 of net assets with no regional relief. Under the regime you are assessed on Spanish assets only, so a flat in Barcelona counts, a portfolio abroad does not. The state large-fortunes tax also applies above €3 million.
Tech, remote and founders
The telework route and the director route are common here. Founders should look closely at the 25% cap for asset-holding companies and at how their salary is documented.
Where we are
The project is based in Barcelona, and the founders’ own regime was obtained here. The platform serves all of Spain.
What does not change with the city
- The rate: 24% on employment income up to €600,000 and 47% above, wherever in Spain you live (outside the Basque Country and Navarre).
- The requirements: no Spanish tax residence in the previous five tax years, a qualifying reason for the move, and Modelo 149 within six months of your Social Security registration.
- The duration: the tax year of the move plus the five following years.
- What you give up: personal and family allowances and most deductions, which is why the regime can lose at moderate incomes or with several dependants.
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Frequently asked questions
Why is the Beckham saving larger in Barcelona than in Madrid?
The regime is the same in both. Catalonia’s regional scale is much steeper than Madrid’s, so the standard tax you avoid is higher. At €120,000 the difference between the two cities is several thousand euros a year.
Does the Beckham Law exempt me from Catalan wealth tax?
No. It limits it to Spanish assets, because you are assessed as a non-resident for that tax. Property in Catalonia counts; savings and investments held abroad do not while you are in the regime.
Is Barcelona expensive enough to eat the saving?
Rent is high, but the saving is a tax figure, not a cost-of-living one. At €100,000 the illustrative saving in Catalonia is well over €10,000 a year. Compare that with the rent difference to the city you are leaving.
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Legal notice. This tool provides an indicative estimate based on the regulations in force as of 31/08/2026 and on the data entered by the user. It does not constitute tax, legal or any other kind of advice, nor does it create any professional relationship. The results do not take into account all of the personal, family and asset circumstances that determine actual taxation, including possible international double taxation. The application of the special regime of art. 93 LIRPF is subject to strict compliance with legal requirements and to acceptance by the Spanish Tax Agency; its refusal or subsequent loss may substantially alter the result. State and regional tax regulations may change at any time. Before taking any decision, consult a registered tax advisor. Beckham Law Agency accepts no liability for decisions taken on the basis of this estimate.