Inheritance handling in Valencia
We handle the whole inheritance under one roof: certificates, will or declaration of heirs, Inheritance Tax, plusvalía, notary and Land Registry. If there is a property to be sold and we handle the sale, we advance the costs. It is handled by a lawyer registered with the Valencia Bar, at our office at Av. Giorgeta 43 in Valencia or by video call.
Inheriting should not cost you months or extra money.
An inheritance arrives at the worst possible moment and brings deadlines that run from day one. These are the three problems we see most often.
Six months that fly by
Inheritance Tax and the municipal capital gains tax (plusvalía) must be settled within six months of the death. Miss the deadline and a surcharge applies: 1% plus another 1% for each full month, and 15% with interest after a year.
Reliefs that do not apply themselves
In the Valencia region, spouses, children and parents get a 99 % relief on the Inheritance Tax due, but it has to be claimed correctly. A poor valuation of the property can cost more than the tax itself.
Heirs who cannot agree
Jointly owned property without an agreement blocks the sale, generates costs and damages relationships. The sooner an agreement is sought, the easier it is to close it without going to court.
Inheritances that turned out well.
The hard part, solved. Tap each file to read the full case.
A lawyer in charge, and everything under one roof.
Your inheritance is handled and signed by Laura Expósito Prosper, a lawyer registered with the Valencia Bar Association under number 15,022. She is your contact from start to finish, at our office at Av. Giorgeta 43 in Valencia or by video call.
Laura Expósito Prosper (ICAV 15,022) runs the firm's inheritance work: assessment, taxes, deed and Land Registry, including when heirs disagree or live outside Spain.
Óscar Ferrer, founder of Equus Capital, spent almost ten years as a notary's officer in Ciutadella de Menorca (2011 to 2021). He knows from the inside how an inheritance deed is prepared and what makes a notary or the Land Registry stop it.
What usually comes with an inheritance is sorted out here too: transferring or deregistering the cars with our registered agent, less than 50 metres from the Traffic Office; inherited gold, as official SilverGold consultants in Valencia; and selling the property if you decide to sell.
Five steps, one point of contact.
We handle each stage in order and keep you posted as it moves along. We do not pass you on to third parties.
First consultation and diagnosis
We review who inherits, which assets there are and which deadlines are running. You leave with a written plan. The first consultation is free.
Documents and titles
We request the death certificate, the certificate of last wills (available about 15 working days after the death) and the insurance certificate. If there is a will we obtain the authorised copy; if not, we process the declaration of heirs before a notary.
Inventory and valuation
We identify property, bank accounts, vehicles, securities and debts. We value the property using the Cadastre reference value (valor de referencia) at the date of death, or the declared value if higher. If there is no reference value or it is wrong, we study the valuation or challenge it.
Taxes
We file the Inheritance Tax with the reductions and relief you are entitled to, and the municipal plusvalía using the most favourable calculation method. If needed, we request the extension within the deadline.
Acceptance, distribution and registration
We prepare the deed of acceptance and allocation, go with you to the signing and register the property at the Land Registry. If you want to sell, we also take care of the sale.
Every inheritance gets stuck somewhere different.
These are the situations we see most often in Valencia. For each one, what the law says and what we do.
There is a will and you all agree
What happens and what we do
The simple case: around 3 to 6 months. We request the certificates, value the estate, file the taxes within 6 months and prepare the deed and the registration.
There is no will
What happens and what we do
First comes the declaration of heirs before a notary, which sets out who inherits by law. The notary cannot close it until 20 working days after the process starts.
Read more
There may be debts
What happens and what we do
Do not accept blindly. You can accept with benefit of inventory, so that debts are only paid out of what the deceased left, or you can renounce. We review the inventory before you decide.
Read more
One heir will not sign or reply
What happens and what we do
A notary can give them 30 calendar days to accept or renounce; if they stay silent, they are deemed to accept outright, debts included (article 1005 of the Civil Code). Heirs and legatees representing at least 50% of the estate can ask for an appointed estate divider (article 1057).
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Your brother or sister will not sell the flat
What happens and what we do
Nobody has to stay in co-ownership (article 400 of the Civil Code). Before going to court you must try to negotiate, a legal requirement since April 2025.
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One of the heirs lives in the house
What happens and what we do
Until the estate is divided, the house belongs to all of you. While the estate is undivided, the Supreme Court says you cannot charge them rent for yourself (judgment 701/2026), but you can force the division.
There is no money for the tax
What happens and what we do
The bank can pay Inheritance Tax out of the deceased's accounts, and if there is a property to be sold and we handle the sale, we advance the costs ourselves and recover them from it.
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The deadline passed, or the inheritance was never done
What happens and what we do
If you file before the tax office contacts you, you pay a surcharge, there is no penalty and in the Valencia region you keep the tax relief. After about four and a half years the tax may be time-barred, but the deed still has to be signed.
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Heirs who live outside Spain
What happens and what we do
Everything can be done remotely, with a power of attorney signed in your country, and the first consultation can be in English.
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There is a flat with a mortgage
What happens and what we do
A mortgage does not disappear on death: the debt passes to the estate. You need to decide whether to keep paying, sell or renounce, and it pays to talk to the bank early.
Read more
The whole file, from start to finish.
- Death, last wills and insurance certificates
- Copy of the will or declaration of heirs before a notary
- Deed of acceptance and allocation
- Land Registry entry and change of bank account holders
- Inheritance Tax with the Valencian reliefs
- Municipal capital gains tax (plusvalía)
- Extensions and deferrals
- Review of the property valuation
- Heirs who disagree and jointly owned property
- Acceptance with benefit of inventory, or renunciation if there are debts
- Heirs living outside Spain: non-resident inheritance
- Sale of the inherited property
Step by step, from your side.
The same five steps, seen from your side. For each one you will see which documents you end up with, what is down to you and what depends on others. The time limits are the ones set by law, and most of them start on the date of death, not on the day you come to see us.
1. First meeting and assessmentYou leave with a written plan and the deadlines.Time limitNo set deadline
You receive
- A written plan: who inherits, which assets and debts we know about, which documents are missing and the deadline for each tax, worked out from the date of death.
Your part
- Tell us what you know: date of death, whether there was a will, who the heirs are and which assets and debts you know of.
- Bring whatever you have: the deceased's ID, the death certificate if you already have it, title deeds and the latest property tax (IBI) bills.
Depends on
- Nobody yet. At this stage it is just you and us.
Time limit
This step has no legal time limit of its own, but the tax clocks are already running: 6 months from the date of death for Inheritance Tax and for the municipal tax on the increase in urban land value (plusvalía). The Inheritance Tax extension can only be requested within the first 5 months.
2. Documents and proof of titleCertificates, the will or the declaration of heirs.Time limitFrom 15 working days
You receive
- Full death certificate.
- Certificate of last wills (certificado de actos de última voluntad): it shows whether there is a will and which notary holds it.
- Certificate of life insurance policies covering death.
- Authorised copy of the last will or, if there is none, the notarial declaration of heirs.
Your part
- The deceased's details and ID, and documents proving family ties, such as the family book (libro de familia).
- Contact details for every heir.
- If there is no will, two witnesses who know the family. They can be relatives as long as they do not inherit.
Depends on
- Civil Registry: death certificate.
- Ministry of Justice: last wills and life insurance certificates.
- The notary who holds the will: authorised copy.
- The notary handling the declaration of heirs.
- Insurers, if a life policy turns up.
Time limit
The last wills and life insurance certificates can only be requested once 15 working days have passed since the death. If requested online, once issued you have 90 calendar days to download them. Without a will, the notary will not close the declaration of heirs until 20 working days after it is opened. If a notice has to be published in the Official State Gazette (BOE) because someone involved cannot be traced, a one month period for objections comes first.
3. Inventory and valuationWhat there is, what it is worth and what is owed.Time limitBefore the tax
You receive
- A detailed list of assets, rights and debts, with their value and whether they were joint marital property or separate property.
- Land Registry extract (nota simple) for each property: owner, charges and mortgages.
- Cadastral reference value of each property at the date of death.
- Bank balance certificates at the date of death.
Your part
- Give us what you have kept: deeds, IBI bills, bank statements and transactions, insurance policies, vehicle papers and proof of debts and expenses.
- Tell us about any asset or debt you know of that is not in the paperwork.
Depends on
- Land Registry: property extracts.
- Cadastre: reference value.
- Banks: balances and products at the date of death.
Time limit
No legal time limit of its own, but it has to be finished before the Inheritance Tax deadline, because the tax return is built on it.
4. TaxesInheritance Tax and plusvalía, with the reliefs.Time limit6 months
You receive
- Inheritance Tax self assessment (form 650, filed with the Valencian Tax Agency, ATV, or the Spanish Tax Agency depending on where the deceased and each heir lived), one per heir, filed and with proof of payment.
- If needed, the Inheritance Tax extension request (form 739).
- Self assessment or return for the plusvalía on each urban property. In the city of Valencia this is form A500.
- If needed, the plusvalía extension request.
Your part
- Decide with us whether to ask for an extension. The Inheritance Tax one carries late payment interest.
- Provide a statement of your own existing wealth and, where relevant, proof of family ties or disability.
- Pay the tax. The law allows the bank to pay it with a cheque made out to the tax authority, drawn on the deceased's accounts.
Depends on
- Valencian Tax Agency (ATV): the office for the deceased's habitual residence.
- The town hall where each urban property is located.
- The banks, if payment comes from the deceased's accounts.
Time limit
Inheritance Tax: 6 months from the date of death. The extension is a further 6 months and must be requested within the first 5. If there is no reply within a month, it is deemed granted. Plusvalía: 6 months from the date of death, extendable up to one year on request. In the city of Valencia the extension must be requested within those 6 months.
5. Acceptance, division and registrationDeed before a notary and Land Registry entry.Time limitRegistry: 15 days
You receive
- Authorised copy of the deed of acceptance and allocation of the estate.
- The same deed stamped with the Land Registry's registration note.
- Land Registry extract or certificate showing the properties in your name.
- Confirmation from the banks that accounts have been transferred or balances paid out.
Your part
- Decide whether to accept the inheritance, accept it subject to inventory (limiting liability for debts) or renounce it. We look at this from the first meeting, because acceptance subject to inventory has deadlines and is done before a notary.
- Agree the division with the other heirs.
- Attend the signing before the notary with your ID, or grant a power of attorney if you cannot attend.
Depends on
- Notary: executes the deed.
- Land Registry: reviews and registers it.
- Banks: transfer the accounts or pay out the balances.
Time limit
The Land Registry will not register anything until the Inheritance Tax and the plusvalía have been filed. Once the deed is lodged, the registrar has up to 15 days to register it, which can be extended by a further 15 for exceptional reasons. If there are defects to fix, the period starts again once they are corrected. Certificates are issued within 4 days per property at most. Notaries and banks have no fixed legal time limit.
Time limits as set by law, checked against the official texts (BOE, Valencian Tax Agency, Ministry of Justice and City of Valencia) in October 2026.
What inheriting in Valencia costs, in numbers.
In the Valencia region, children, spouses and parents get a 99% relief on Inheritance Tax. Brothers, sisters, nephews, nieces, uncles and aunts by blood get 25% for deaths from 1 June 2026, rising to 50% on 1 June 2027. Two examples worked out under the current law:
A 40-year-old son inherits €200,000
- What he inherits
- €200,000.00
- Allowance for a child
- −€100,000.00
- Taxable base
- €100,000.00
- Tax before relief
- €12,487.54
- 99% relief
- −€12,362.66
- He pays
- €124.88
A nephew inherits €50,000 (death from 1-6-2026)
- What he inherits
- €50,000.00
- State allowance, group III
- −€7,993.46
- Taxable base
- €42,006.54
- Tax, with the 1.5882 multiplier
- €6,351.08
- 25% relief
- −€1,587.77
- He pays
- €4,763.31
Guide examples: no family home, insurance or disability, prior wealth under €390,657.87, and filed on time or before the tax office contacts you. If household contents worth €6,000 also had to be added (it depends on what the estate contains), the son would pay €134.57. Before 1 June 2026 the nephew had no relief and would pay €6,351.08.
Everything else you pay
Municipal plusvalía
Charged by the town hall where each urban property is. In the city of Valencia, when children, parents or a spouse inherit, there is a 95% relief for deaths from 1 January 2024, whether or not it was the family home. If the land has not gained value, nothing is due.
Notary and Land Registry
Set by official scale fees, depending on value and number of assets. We give you the estimate at the first consultation.
Certificates
The certificates of last wills and life insurance carry a small Ministry of Justice fee.
Our fees
Agreed with you before we start, depending on the work your inheritance needs. The first consultation is free.
How long an inheritance takes.
A straightforward inheritance, with a will and heirs in agreement, is usually settled in about 3 to 6 months. Without a will, with many assets or with disagreement, it can take longer. Inheritance Tax and the municipal plusvalía are due 6 months after the death, and both can be extended if requested in time.
If the estate includes a property that is going to be sold and we handle that sale, we advance taxes, notary and procedure costs, and everything is paid from the sale: what we advanced, the sale commission and our fees. The first consultation is free.
When you do not need us.
If you are the only heir, there is no property and no debt, and everything is in one bank account, you can do it yourself: the bank will tell you which papers it needs, and Inheritance Tax is filed on form 650 with the Valencian Tax Agency. We explain it in using a firm or doing it yourself.
You need us when there is property, several heirs, deadlines about to expire, debts, heirs outside Spain or someone who will not sign. That is when a valuation or deadline mistake costs more than the firm.
Inheritance in Valencia, explained clearly.
If your question is not here, we answer it in the first consultation, free of charge.
At Equus Capital we handle inheritances in Valencia from start to finish. They are run by Laura Expósito Prosper, a lawyer registered with the Valencia Bar (ICAV) under number 15,022, at our office at Av. Giorgeta 43 or by video call. The first consultation is free and you leave with a written plan.
A simple inheritance, with a will and heirs in agreement, usually takes around 3 to 6 months. No will, assets in several provinces or disagreement between heirs make it longer. At the first consultation we give you a realistic timetable.
Children, spouses and parents get a 99% relief: a son inheriting €200,000 pays about €125. Brothers, sisters, nephews, nieces, uncles and aunts by blood get 25% for deaths from 1 June 2026. The relief is kept if you file on time or before the tax office contacts you. More in Inheritance Tax in the Valencia region.
It depends on the assets: Inheritance Tax, municipal plusvalía on each urban property, notary and Land Registry scale fees and some certificates with a small fee. Our fees are agreed with you before we start. We break it down in inheritance costs in Valencia.
There is no general deadline to accept it, unless another interested party asks a notary to give you 30 calendar days to decide (article 1005 of the Civil Code). The taxes do have deadlines: 6 months from the death for Inheritance Tax and plusvalía, extendable if requested in time.
If you file before the tax office contacts you, you pay a surcharge of 1% plus 1% per full month late (15% after a year), there is no penalty and you keep the relief. We explain it in I missed the deadline.
An inheritance does not expire, but until it is accepted and divided you cannot sell the property or get the money from the bank. As a rule, the tax becomes time-barred four years after the filing deadline, unless that period is interrupted; if it has not and you file before the tax office contacts you, it is paid with a surcharge and no penalty. More in an inheritance never sorted out.
A declaration of heirs is made before a notary, setting out who inherits by law. Since 2015 this is done before a notary also when brothers, sisters, nephews or nieces inherit. We explain it in inheritance without a will.
Yes. You can renounce before a notary or accept with benefit of inventory, so debts are only paid out of the estate and never from your own assets. We review the inventory before you decide. More in inheriting debts.
A notary can give them 30 calendar days to accept or renounce; if they do not reply, they are deemed to accept outright, debts included. If they still will not sign, heirs and legatees representing at least 50% of the estate can ask for an estate divider who makes the division, later approved by the notary or the court clerk unless everyone confirms it (article 1057 of the Civil Code). More in one heir will not sign.
Yes, indirectly: nobody has to stay in co-ownership (article 400 of the Civil Code). Without agreement, the flat goes to one of you, who pays the other, or it is sold and the price shared. Before going to court you must try to negotiate. More in my brother will not sell the inherited flat.
He can use it, but not exclusively and keeping the others out. While the estate is undivided, the Supreme Court says you cannot charge him rent for yourself (judgment 701/2026), though you can force the division. More in my brother lives in the inherited house.
The bank freezes the balances until Inheritance Tax is accounted for, but the law lets it pay the tax with a cheque made out to the tax office from those accounts. More in bank accounts frozen by an inheritance.
Municipal plusvalía on the sale and, in your income tax, the gain between the sale price and the value you declared when inheriting (capped at market value) plus costs. That is why a good valuation at inheritance matters. More in selling an inherited house in Valencia.
Yes, the law does not require one for an inheritance before a notary. If you are the only heir and there is no property or debt, you can do it yourself. With property, several heirs or deadlines close, a mistake usually costs more than the firm. More in using a firm or doing it yourself.
Yes, when the estate includes a property that is going to be sold and we handle that sale. We advance taxes, notary and paperwork so you do not put money up front, and everything is paid from the sale: what we advanced, the sale commission and our fees for the inheritance.
Yes. It is done remotely, with a power of attorney signed in your country, and the first consultation can be in English. See non-resident inheritance.
ReviewReviewed by Laura Expósito Prosper, lawyer specialising in succession law · ICAV member no. 15.022Updated October 2026
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