Find out what your Spanish tax number is, what it’s used for, and what the different abbreviations mean – DNI, NIE, NIF, CIF, & VAT number.

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What is your Spanish tax number? 
Is that the same as an NIE?
And what’s an NIF?
What’s a Spanish DNI?
What’s your VAT number?

Stick around, and you’ll find out.

I’m going to answer your most frequently asked questions about the Spanish tax number.

First of all, you need to know about your identification number.

What’s your ID number called?

It depends on whether you’re a Spanish citizen or not. If you’re British, you’re a foreigner and your number is called the NIE, or Foreigner’s Identification Number.

What about if you’re Spanish?

As a Spanish citizen, you will have a DNI, or National Identity Document.

Are the numbers in the same format for citizens and foreigners?

Not quite, the DNI has eight digits followed by a letter, unless they’re a Spanish child under 14, in which case their number starts with the letter K, or if they’re living outside of Spain, it starts with the letter L.

There’s always an ‘It depends’!

What does the NIE look like?

The NIE has either X, Y or Z followed by 8 digits then another letter.

Why do we need an identification number?

Any time you file taxes, buy a property, start a business, open a bank account, or fill in official forms, you’ll need your ID number.

What’s an NIF?

That’s your Fiscal Identity Number, and just to make it easy for you, your fiscal ID is the same as your NIE, or your DNI if you’re Spanish. And if you’re Spanish the same number is used for your driving licence.

It’s worth knowing that if you’re a self-employed person in Spain, or Autonomo, it’s the NIF you’ll be asked to put on all of your invoices or Facturas as they’re called here.

What’s a CIF?

That’s also a fiscal identity number just like the NIF, but it’s used as a tax ID to certify a business, and they use the letters A, B, N, or W at the start to represent what kind of business they are.

Is your tax number used as your VAT number as well?

Your NIF is included in your VAT number, all you have to do is add the letters ES at the beginning to show you’re registered in España, then you have your VAT number. Except in Spain it’s called the IVA.

It’s worth knowing that businesses will often quote you prices without IVA included, so it’s always best to check that, before you find your bill is 21% more than your original quote. That’s just how it’s done, so you have to get used to it.

Is that everything?

Almost, there’s one more number you will come across if you’re working as an employee or for yourself, and that’s the Social Security number, which is 2 numbers followed by 9 numbers, the first two represent the province where you applied.

There’s a CCC number too, which is the employer’s social security number, and it has an extra 4 numbers in front of it to tell you whether they’re a general employer or a special employer.

Any more questions? 

Put them below!

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Article by Skatz