Financial planning for Americans living and working in Seville.

Seville (Sevilla) is the Spanish dream most Americans only discover after they've already overpaid for Madrid or Barcelona. Tapas at El Rinconcillo, Santa Cruz at dusk, the Giralda from a Triana rooftop, Feria in April, and a cost of living roughly 30–40% below Madrid. The Cartuja technology park (PCT Cartuja), the Airbus A400M line in San Pablo, and a growing remote-work scene are pulling Americans south. What nobody tells you: Andalucía gives a 100% wealth tax exemption — but the national Solidarity Tax still hits above €3M, Spain taxes your Roth, your US broker may close on a Sevilla address, and the Beckham Law has a 6-month election window most arrivals miss. We build the US side so Seville actually works long-term.

Cross-border financial planning and US investment management for Americans living abroad, typically with $1M+. Most clients have $1M+ in investable assets; we also work with selected households from $500K.

Written and reviewed by Anthony Walsh, Selanis. Last reviewed 2026-06-30.

Key issues

Solidarity Tax above €3M
Beckham Law 6-month window
Roth IRA taxed by Spain
RSUs taxed on workdays
US brokerage closure risk
Modelo 720 reporting

Andalucía gives you a 100% wealth tax bonificación. The national Solidarity Tax above €3M still applies.

The Junta de Andalucía applies a 100% bonificación to impuesto sobre el patrimonio — so the regional wealth tax bill is zero, regardless of your net worth. That's a meaningful Seville-vs-Valencia/Barcelona advantage. But Madrid (the central government) introduced the Impuesto Temporal de Solidaridad de las Grandes Fortunas in 2022 — the Solidarity Tax — which layers on top above €3M of net wealth (rates of 1.7%, 2.1%, 3.5%). For a US senior engineer or aerospace executive with stacked 401(k)s, vested RSUs, brokerage and equity, this crosses the line faster than people expect. We model it explicitly — not assume it away.

You have 6 months from registering for Spanish social security to elect Beckham. Miss it and pay 47% instead of 24% for six years.

On a work contract — Airbus, NTT Data, Indra, or a US tech employer's Spanish entity — or on a 2023 Digital Nomad Visa with a non-Spanish employer, the Beckham regime fixes Spanish-source employment income at a flat 24% up to €600k for six tax years, instead of the progressive IRPF scale that climbs past 47%. Modelo 149 must be filed within 6 months of registering with Spanish social security. Miss it and you lose Beckham for six full years. In Seville, where Andalucía already zeroes the wealth tax, Beckham's main value is on income — and it's often the difference between making the move work financially and not.

Your Roth IRA is tax-free in the US. Spain doesn't recognise that — and Seville is no exception.

Spain generally treats the Roth as a savings account: inside build-up potentially taxable each year and distributions taxed on the gain at 19–28%. Whether to contribute, convert, draw down, or simply not touch it depends on Beckham status, your timeline in Spain, and your eventual residency. We model it before you make a move you can't easily unwind.

Your US tech RSUs are sourced by workday. Vest in Seville, get taxed in Seville — even on shares granted before you arrived.

Spain taxes equity compensation based on where you physically worked during the vesting period. The portion attributable to days worked in Spain is Spanish-source income, taxed at IRPF rates above 47% — unless Beckham applies. The interaction between US withholding, Spanish IRPF, the foreign tax credit on your 1040, and Beckham eligibility is where most arrivals quietly overpay. We map every grant, every vest date, and every workday before they hit your Spanish return.

Every US account over €50k has to be declared. Most arrivals never file it in year one.

If you're Spanish tax resident and any of three buckets — foreign accounts, foreign securities (IRA, 401(k), Roth, US brokerage), or foreign real estate — exceeds €50,000 at year-end, you must file Modelo 720 by 31 March. Modelo 721 covers foreign crypto. The 2022 EU Court ruling killed the abusive penalty regime; the filing obligation itself remains. We bring late filers current quietly.

Schwab, Fidelity and Vanguard are quietly restricting accounts for clients with a Spanish address.

A forced US liquidation crystallises an unplanned tax year — usually in a year you needed predictability, not surprise. Interactive Brokers, Schwab International (for qualifying clients), and a small number of Spain-friendly setups genuinely work for US persons in Spain. The migration has to be sequenced — ideally before you change your address with the IRS and the custodian.

The CaixaBank or Santander branch on Avenida de la Constitución will pitch a fondo or a plan de pensiones. For an American, both are PFICs.

Spanish fondos de inversión, planes de pensiones, PIAS and Unit-Linked savings policies are the standard local recommendation. For a US person they're Passive Foreign Investment Companies — Form 8621 each, with default IRS treatment that can produce a US tax bill larger than the gain itself. Stay US-domiciled.

Airbus, Hélice cluster and Cartuja employers pay partly in benefits, partly in Spanish payroll, sometimes in foreign equity. The US side has to track all three.

Seville's economy isn't just tapas and tourism — it's the San Pablo Airbus A400M line, the Hélice aerospace cluster, the Cartuja science and tech park (PCT Cartuja) and a growing remote-work base. American hires often arrive with US stock from a previous employer still vesting, a Spanish-entity payslip, and benefits-in-kind that Spain taxes differently from the US. We coordinate the whole compensation picture — not just the salary.

Your US employer plan doesn't follow you. The convenio especial and private cover fill the gap.

US employer plans almost never cover routine care abroad. After a year of Spanish residency you may join the public system via the convenio especial for €60–€157/month — but it's regional, has waiting periods, and excludes pharmacy. Most American professionals in Seville run a hybrid: Sanitas, Adeslas, DKV or ASISA private cover at €50–€130/month each for fast access. Quirónsalud Sagrado Corazón, Hospital Viamed Santa Ángela de la Cruz and Vithas Sevilla are the go-to private hospitals. We model the healthcare line — typically €2,000–€5,000/year per person — into your real Spanish cashflow.

Paid in dollars. Rent in Triana, café in Alameda and Mercadona in euros. 5–15% swings change the maths.

If you're a US remote worker paid in USD, EUR/USD moves are silent leverage on your standard of living. We layer in a measured EUR exposure sized to your actual euro spending — not the whole portfolio — so daily life isn't held hostage to FX.

Frequently asked questions

Does Seville have a wealth tax?

Andalucía applies a 100% bonificación to the regional wealth tax (impuesto sobre el patrimonio), so the regional bill is effectively zero. That's a real Seville advantage versus Valencia, Catalonia or the Balearics. But the national Solidarity Tax on Large Fortunes still applies above €3M of net wealth at 1.7%–3.5%, so it isn't a zero-tax outcome for higher-net-worth families.

I just moved to Seville for a remote job. Do I qualify for Beckham?

Likely yes, under the 2023 Startup Law — Digital Nomad Visa holders working for a foreign employer can elect Beckham, provided no more than 20% of income comes from Spanish clients. Work contracts with Spanish entities (Airbus, NTT Data, Indra, Cartuja employers) also qualify. You must file Modelo 149 within 6 months of registering for Spanish social security. Miss the window and you lose Beckham for six full years.

How are my RSUs taxed if I vest them in Seville?

Spain sources equity compensation by physical workday during the vesting period. The portion attributable to days worked in Spain is Spanish-source income, taxed at IRPF (or flat 24% under Beckham). The remainder is US-source. Coordinating US withholding, Spanish IRPF, and your 1040 foreign tax credit is where most arrivals quietly overpay.

Is my Roth IRA really taxed in Spain?

Generally yes. Spain doesn't recognise the Roth as a tax-free vehicle. Inside build-up may be treated as savings income year by year, and distributions are taxed on the gain at 19–28%. Strategy depends heavily on whether you're in the Beckham regime and how long you plan to stay.

What's Modelo 720 and do I really need to file it?

If you're Spanish tax resident and any of three buckets — foreign accounts, foreign securities (IRA, 401(k), Roth, US brokerage), or foreign real estate — each exceeds €50,000 at year-end, you must file Modelo 720 by 31 March. The 2022 EU Court ruling killed the abusive penalty regime; the filing obligation itself remains.

Schwab is sending me warnings about my Seville address. What do I do?

Move the account before they force-liquidate and crystallise an unplanned US tax year. Interactive Brokers, Schwab International (for qualifying clients), and a small number of Spain-friendly setups genuinely support US persons here. Order of operations matters — we sequence the move with your US CPA before address changes hit.

Should I open a CaixaBank or Santander fondo de inversión?

Almost certainly not. Both are Passive Foreign Investment Companies under US law. Form 8621 obligations and punitive default IRS treatment can produce a US tax bill larger than your Spanish savings. The €1,500/year pension deduction rarely beats the cross-border friction.

Where in Seville should we live — Centro, Triana, Los Remedios, Nervión, or Aljarafe?

Tax-wise it's identical inside the city and across Aljarafe — all Andalucía, same bonificación. The differences are lifestyle and cost: Centro and Santa Cruz are dense and historic, Triana is the soul of the city across the river, Los Remedios is quieter family living, Nervión is modern and apartment-block residential near the AVE station, Aljarafe (Tomares, Mairena del Aljarafe, Castilleja) is the family-friendly suburb belt. We don't pick the postcode — we make sure whichever you pick, the US side is right.

How does Seville compare to Madrid or Málaga financially?

Cost of living in Seville is roughly 30–40% below Madrid and 15–25% below Málaga. On wealth tax, Seville (Andalucía) matches Madrid — both zero regionally, both exposed to the national Solidarity Tax above €3M. Málaga is the same on tax. The real choice between them is lifestyle, sector (aerospace and Cartuja in Seville, tech and tourism in Málaga, corporate finance in Madrid) and climate.

What about healthcare? My US employer plan won't cover me in Spain.

Correct — US employer plans rarely cover routine care abroad. After a year of residency you may join the public system via the convenio especial (€60–€157/month, regional, with waiting periods and no pharmacy). Most American professionals run a hybrid with Sanitas, Adeslas, DKV or ASISA private cover at €50–€130/month. Quirónsalud Sagrado Corazón, Viamed Santa Ángela de la Cruz and Vithas Sevilla are the main private hospitals locally.

Do you file my US or Spanish taxes?

No, deliberately. We coordinate your US CPA and your Sevilla asesor fiscal into one strategy, and we design the investment, equity-comp and pension structure around the positions they sign. Keeping tax prep separate from advice keeps everyone independent.

What does engagement cost?

We start with a 45-minute Complimentary Fit Conversation to scope your situation. From there, engagement starts at $3,000 for a focused planning project, with ongoing management on a tiered fee from 1.00% on the first $1M, falling to 0.30% above $10M. No commissions, retrocessions or product revenue from anyone.

Fees

Blueprint $3,000 and Life $8,000 (flat planning fees). Private Wealth Management on a tiered, blended schedule starting at 1.00% on the first $1M and declining to 0.30% above $10M. Fee-only: no commissions, no product payments, no lock-in. All fees

Book a Fit Conversation — Complimentary Fit Conversation (45 min).