The Tax Agency has eliminated the €3,000 threshold that exempted banks from reporting card payments from freelancers and businesses. From January 1, 2026, all digital transactions, even those of cents, must be reported monthly.
The Tax Agency has put an end to the well-known '€3,000 limit' that until now served as a filter for the information that banks had to send regarding card payments from entrepreneurs and freelancers. From January 1, 2026, any digital payment, regardless of its amount, must be reported monthly by financial institutions.
The change is based on Royal Decree 253/2025, published in April 2025, which modifies the reporting obligations of financial entities. In addition to eliminating the minimum threshold, the reporting frequency changes from annual to monthly. The first data, corresponding to January 2026, has already been sent by banks in February.
Freelancers and small businesses under the Tax Authority's scrutiny
The measure directly affects freelancers and small businesses that receive payments via cards, Bizum, or other mobile payment systems. Until now, only transactions exceeding €3,000 were reported. With the new regulations, any payment, even of three or four euros, will be recorded in the monthly reports that banks send to the Tax Authority.
The tax administration justifies the measure to "prevent the loss of relevant information" and to ensure that the declarations of entrepreneurs and freelancers correspond with their actual sales. Thus, the tax office will be able to detect discrepancies between declared income and actual payments more quickly.
For individuals, the control is less intense: the Tax Authority will receive annual data on card transactions, but only when the total volume of transactions exceeds €25,000 per year. This way, surveillance is prioritised on cards with a greater tax impact.
Rise of digital payments and real-time control
The reform responds to the rise of digital payments in Spain. According to data from the Tax Agency, in the first nine months of 2025, the number of users of these systems exceeded 30 million, approximately 60% of the population. This growth has prompted the Tax Authority to adapt its control mechanisms.
Now, the information that previously arrived once a year is updated almost in real time. This allows for the detection of tax irregularities such as companies receiving payments but not filing quarterly VAT returns, or undeclared income from irregular economic activity through digital payments.
For freelancers, the measure represents a paradigm shift: any transaction with a card or Bizum is recorded and can be cross-referenced with their declarations. Experts recommend reviewing accounting and ensuring that all digital income is correctly declared to avoid penalties.
The next milestone will be the first data comparison: the Tax Authority will cross-reference the reports from January with the quarterly VAT declarations for the first quarter of 2026, expected in April. Those who have omitted digital payments could receive requests.
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