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Spain Drops Income-Tax Filing Requirement for Jobless Whose Only Income Is Unemployment Benefits

The government says reduced administrative burden, aided by improved tax‑agency interoperability, justifies the change.

Overview

  • The BOE published the omnibus “escudo social” decree that removes the planned IRPF filing obligation for people whose sole annual income was unemployment benefits.
  • The move reverses a statement from the Finance Ministry a day earlier that said subsidy recipients in 2025 would have to file in the 2026 campaign.
  • The change applies to the 2025 tax year, while beneficiaries who also earned wages or other income must still file if they meet the usual thresholds.
  • Government documents say the prior obligation exceeded the law’s intent, would add heavy paperwork for roughly 2.5 million people, and could force self-assessments or even the loss of rights such as the minimum for descendants.
  • Officials point to better data-sharing between SEPE and the AEAT as making the filing unnecessary, and the decree also packages pension revaluation and an SMI extension pending Congress review.