What is a Gestoria in Spain?

In Spain, the word “Gestoria” or “Gestor” refers to a person who offers services related to bookkeeping, accounting or taxes.  Whenever you have any problem or are stuck in financial or administrative difficulties, people advise you to go to Gestor, but what is exactly a Gestoria in Spain? In this article SublimeSpain shares all the information you need to know about this useful service. Keep on reading!

Definition of Gestoria in Spain

According to Article 1 of the Organic Statute of Administrative Agents, gestores administrativos are professionals who assist individuals and businesses with administrative procedures that do not require a lawyer. They handle tasks before public authorities on behalf of their clients and keep them informed about the process.

In other words, a Gestoria helps companies (mainly) and works as an administrative link between the public administration and society. Additionally, a Gestoria can provide services for a private person too. In short, the gestor performs actions in the interests of another person or business.

Types of Gestorias in Spain

When running a business in Spain, dealing with paperwork and regulations is unavoidable. Different types of agencies or gestorias specialize in handling specific administrative, financial, and legal tasks, making life easier for business owners and people in general. Here’s a breakdown of the main types of agencies and what they do.

Gestoria Laboral or Labor Agency

A labor agency plays a key role in managing employment-related paperwork. They handle everything from registering and deregistering employees with Social Security to drafting work contracts, managing layoffs (ERES), and handling payroll contributions. Since they work closely with the Spanish Tax Agency, they help ensure everything stays compliant.

Gestoria contable or Accounting Management

Keeping business finances in order is crucial, and that’s where an accounting agency comes in. They manage company accounts, analyze financial statements, legalize accounting books, and oversee analytical accounting to ensure financial records are accurate and up to date.

Gestoria Fiscal or Tax Agency

For freelancers and small businesses, a tax agency is essential. They ensure tax obligations are met correctly while helping optimize tax savings. They also act as an intermediary between businesses and the Spanish Tax Agency, handling filings and compliance.

Gestoria Mercantil or Commercial Agency

A commercial agency helps businesses with key administrative processes, from company formation to dissolution. They handle registrations, statutory modifications, and filings with the Commercial Registry, ensuring everything is properly documented and compliant.

Gestoria Judicial or Judicial Agency

This type of agency focuses on legal compliance and regulatory matters. If a business faces commercial, civil, or criminal legal issues, a judicial agency provides guidance and helps resolve conflicts, ensuring companies operate within legal frameworks.

Primary role of gestores

As said before, the role of Gestoria in Spain is to interface between the administration and the public. Generally, you don’t need an interface in most countries, but having a Gestor is quite necessary if you are living in Spain. Here are the primary functions performed by a Gestor in Spain:

1. Promotion of administrative procedures carried out on behalf of a third party. It would encompass the filing of tax returns.
2. It offers administrative support in various areas such as tax management, accounting management, or labor management. The agency serves as a support and guidance for a person or a company to adapt its accounting to a particular territory.
3. Ability to issue individual certificates or public deeds that is valid for future general procedures. Often these companies have the public authority or permission to create documents or certificates of general validity.
4. The collaboration of an external administrative manager is often essential for the efficient management of a company, as is the case with SMEs or Startups.

Are there any advantages of using a gestor in Spain?

Yes, there are many, though the biggest advantage of hiring a gestor in Spain (especially for expats) is their deep understanding of the system. They know exactly which forms to fill out, how to do it correctly, and what steps to follow to keep things moving. With a gestor handling the paperwork, you avoid common mistakes and delays, making the whole process much smoother.

I’m an expat in Spain: How can a gestor assist me?

The most common procedures carried out by foreigners that may require the services of an agent or Gestor in Spain are:

• Applying for a residence permit
• Getting an NIE or TIE
• Opening a bank account in Spain
• Handling everything car-related, from registration to driver’s licenses
• Sorting out self-employment paperwork and social security contributions
• Filing taxes correctly
• Reporting rental income the right way

Note: The NIE is your unique, permanent identification number, while the TIE is the physical card that includes it. Unlike the TIE, the NIE never expires.

Is there anything a gestor cannot do in Spain?

Yes, there are certain tasks and procedures that the manager or gestor is not allowed to do in Spain. It’s important to know that a gestor is not a lawyer. If you need legal advice in Spain, you’ll need to consult a qualified solicitor. Likewise, gestores aren’t accountants, so they can’t provide tax advice or calculate your taxes, though they can handle the paperwork, like filing your tax return. Their role is to assist with administrative tasks, making bureaucratic processes easier, but they don’t replace licensed professionals.

Is gestor the same as a lawyer?

No, a gestor is not the same as a lawyer. A gestor helps with administrative tasks like filing paperwork, taxes, and business registrations, but they cannot provide legal advice or represent you in court. If you need legal assistance, you’ll need a qualified lawyer (abogado).

Is gestor the same as a notary?

A gestor is also not the same as a notary (notario). Notaries in Spain are public officials who certify documents, oversee legal transactions, and ensure contracts meet legal requirements. While a gestor can help prepare paperwork, only a notary can officially validate certain legal documents.

How do I find a gestor in Spain?

If you need a trustworthy English-speaking gestor in Spain, personal recommendations are a great place to start. Ask other expats or check online forums and social media groups for referrals.

If that doesn’t work, the Consejo General de Colegiados de Gestores Administrativos de España has an online database of registered gestores across Spain. You can search by location (province or postcode) or by specialization (tax, property, etc.), but keep in mind that the website is only available in Spanish.

How much does a gestor in Spain cost?

The cost of hiring a gestoría in Spain typically ranges between €25 and €75, with the national average falling within this range. However, these prices are only estimates and can vary depending on the service, location, and market conditions. To get an accurate idea of costs, it’s always best to request a personalized quote based on your specific needs.

What differentiates a Gestoria from a consultancy?

One way to know the functions of a Gestor is by comparing it with a consultancy. It is common to confuse as both concepts have some common factor. A Gestoria deals with broad aspects of the administrative management of a company. On the other hand, consultancies have their role limited to tax, accounting, and labor advice. However, Gestoria offers a broader service of procedures:

• Tax procedures such as filing taxes in the Public Tax Administration
• Management of accounting and billing of a business
• Management for the constitution of a company
• Processing of grants and subsidies, both public and private
• Legal and official representation between the company or self-employed and the public administration
• Management and processing of self-employed registrations and cancellations
• Help and processing for the acquisition of a billing program and even its subsequent management
• Labor procedures such as the registration and termination of workers, hiring, firing and payroll management, and other practices with Social Security

What can a SublimeSpain do for my company?

SublimeSpain will help you with the processing of public deeds, all kinds of certificates, property transfer taxes and documented legal acts, import and export of vehicles, registrations, transport cards, and registry reports, among many others. Considered in a grouped manner, the agency provides the following services to companies:

1. Tax procedures: The agency keeps the company’s accounting in terms of policies as relevant as the withholdings to be applied.
2. Study processing: the processing of subsidies and studies requires considerable paperwork to entrust to the gestoria.
3. Labor procedures: The preparation of payroll is the most common service; it includes registration processing, forecasting expenses, and workers’ cancellation.
4. Business management: The agency can offer management solutions adapted to the company’s needs, which will cover different services.
5. Certificates: The processing of very various certificates is another of the tasks carried out by agencies.
6. Creation of companies: The consultancy can facilitate the procedures to create anonymous and limited companies by delegating all the paperwork.

SublimeSpain can also perform other services such as procedures related to inheritances, licenses, or various administration certificates, immigration, and even traffic fines.

Why SublimeSpain?

The SublimeSpain administrative managers are professionals who graduated in Law, Economics, Business, Politics and Management, and Business Administration. At SublimeSpain, you will connect with a professional team of business lawyers. Here you will get advice on the creation of a company, as well as on business management.

Disclaimer: Information on this page may be incomplete or outdated. Under no circumstances should the information listed be considered professional legal advice. We highly recommend seeking guidance from a legal expert if you lack extensive knowledge or experience dealing with any of the procedures outlined in these articles.