What you do before December 31 will decide how much you pay for the 2026 Income Tax. After that, all that’s left is to declare it. That’s why at Gatefi we’re kicking off our 2026 Income Tax simulation campaign this month: we calculate, using your real data, what you’ll likely have to pay or get back in June 2027, and we suggest what to adjust in the next eight weeks to pay less, all within the law.

We’ve spent more than four decades (since 1980) preparing income tax returns for professionals, families, and business owners in Barcelona. Nowadays, that also includes anyone investing in cryptocurrencies, ETFs, options, CFDs, or funds: new products with tax rules that aren’t always intuitive and that the tax authorities are watching more closely than ever.

How the simulation works

Within 48–72 hours, we deliver a report with your estimated 2026 income tax and the specific savings from each measure we propose.

1. You send us your documentation: payslips or withholding certificates as of today, broker and exchange statements, rental income, contributions to pension plans, and if you are self-employed, your accounting for the year.
2. We project the fiscal year to December 31 under the rules in effect in 2026, including regional deductions in Catalonia.
3. We show you the result: how much you will pay, what tax bracket you’re in, and what part comes from your savings base (investments).
4. We propose an action plan with the amount each measure saves you and the deadline to carry it out.

If you are already a Gatefi customer, we have most of your data: you just need to confirm what has changed this year.

Seven moves that lower your 2026 Income Tax if done before December 31

Most personal income tax savings are lost by being late: the expense, contribution, or sale has to happen within the fiscal year.

Deductions for electric vehicles and energy efficiency are extended only until December 31, 2026 (AEAT, Real Decreto-ley 2/2026; RDL 7/2026).With general elections called for November 29, no one can guarantee a new extension until 2027: if you plan to make that spending, it’s best to do it this year.

If you invest in crypto, ETFs, or options: what the tax authorities already know and what they can do

All gains from your investments are taxed under the savings base, with rates from 19% to 30%. The good news: any losses you have unrealized today can reduce that bill if they materialize before December 31.

Cryptocurrencies

• Exchanging one crypto for another is already taxable, even if it doesn’t go through euros: it’s a swap that generates a capital gain or loss (DGT, binding consultation V0999-18; criterion reiterated in the V1543-25).
• The FIFO method applies: the first units purchased are the first ones considered sold (DGT V0975-22 and V2005-22, among others). If you trade on multiple exchanges, you need to reconstruct the full history.
• Buying and selling on your own account isn’t considered economic activity and doesn’t require registering for the IAE (V1543-25).
• Starting in 2026, exchanges report their operations to the tax authorities (EU directive DAC8). And if by December 31 you have more than €50,000 in crypto assets held outside of Spain, you’ll have to file Form 721.

ETF and investment funds

• An ETF is taxed like a stock: it doesn’t allow tax-free transfers like investment funds do. Every sale to rebalance is a gain or loss for the year.
• Funds do allow transfers without paying taxes (art. 94 LIRPF). If you want to change your strategy, do it through a transfer, not redemption.

Options, futures, and CFDs

• Their results are capital gains and losses from the savings base, and they are offset with those from stocks, ETFs, and cryptos.
• Foreign brokers do not send tax data to the AEAT: the calculation is yours. We help you turn your transaction reports into the boxes on the tax return.

Three decisions to make before New Year’s Eve

1. Realize unrealized losses to offset the year’s capital gains. If the final balance is negative, you can offset up to 25% of your dividends and interest, and the rest carries over for four years.
2. Don’t buy back too soon: if you sell shares or listed ETFs at a loss and buy the same ones in the two months before or after, the loss can’t be applied that year (art. 33.5 LIRPF).
3. Check your 2022 losses: 2026 is the last year to offset them. If you don’t generate gains this year, they’re lost.

If you’re self-employed

The last quarter is the only one in which you can still adjust the net earnings for the whole year.

• Forward necessary expenses and investments (equipment, software, training) to December: they remain in 2026 and not in 2027.
• Hard-to-justify expenses: in simplified direct estimation, 5% of net income is automatically deducted, up to a maximum of €2,000 (AEAT). It’s not compatible with the reduction for economically dependent self-employed workers.
• Pension plans for freelancers: in addition to the general limit, simplified employment plans allow for additional contributions. We can calculate how much it makes sense for you to contribute based on your marginal rate.
• Check your installment payments (Form 130): if the fourth quarter shows that you overpaid, the simulation tells you how much you’ll get back on your income tax.

Request your simulation now: nine weeks left

The sooner we have your data, the more time you’ll have to implement each measure before the fiscal year ends.

Gatefi · Asesoría fiscal, contable, laboral y mercantil desde 1980 Calle Casanova 199, Pral. 2ª, 08036 Barcelona Teléfono 93 321 09 00 · WhatsApp 678 331 691 · gatefi@gatefi.es

This article is for informational purposes and does not replace personalized advice. Each measure should be evaluated according to your specific circumstances.