There is something curious that happens every summer in law firms: July and August are not quiet months, they are crisis months. The heat invites rest, but it also brings to light everything that has been hidden under the carpet for months (or years). An apartment on the Côte d'Azur that no one has stepped into since the owner's death. A bank account in Germany that remains frozen because no one knows what paperwork is needed. A cousin living in Argentina who suddenly claims their share.
If you have properties, accounts, or investments outside of Spain inherited from a relative, summer has the unfortunate habit of putting everything on the table. Tax deadlines do not understand holidays, and many heirs discover, just when they are at the beach, that they have six months (or less) to settle taxes in two different countries.
The Complexity of Inheriting Assets Abroad While Living in Barcelona
Living in Barcelona does not simplify anything when the deceased's estate is spread across several countries. Each jurisdiction plays by its own rules, which means notaries who do not respond in Spanish, deadlines that vary depending on the country of origin of the asset, and a Spanish tax office that, by the way, wants its share even if the money has never set foot on Catalan soil.
Notaries, Languages, and Unforgiving Deadlines
One of the biggest headaches is dealing with international notaries who work with regulations that are completely different from Spanish ones. In countries like France or the United Kingdom, succession procedures can take months just due to differences in criteria between administrations, and if you add to that the fact that you are managing everything from Barcelona, with the time zone against you and no one speaking your language on the other end of the phone, the equation becomes much more complicated than it initially seemed.
This is compounded by the so-called European Succession Regulation, which theoretically makes things easier within the European Union, but in practice requires knowing in detail which law applies to each asset based on its location and the habitual residence of the deceased. Spoiler: it is not always as intuitive as it seems.
Specialised firms like Abogados M&V have been working on precisely these types of complex cases, where the estate crosses borders and generic solutions simply do not fit.
Moreover, many firms with a national structure now have teams distributed across different cities to provide real coverage for these cases; in fact, some people directly seek an international inheritance lawyer in Coruña when the inherited asset is linked to that territory, even if the heir resides in Barcelona.
Double Taxation, That Ghost No One Explains Well
Another classic of summer: discovering that you are going to pay taxes on the same inheritance twice. Spain has double taxation agreements with some countries, but not with all, and applying them correctly requires knowing both the Catalan regional regulations and those of the country where the asset is located down to the last detail. A small misinterpretation can translate into thousands of euros paid to the tax office unnecessarily, or worse, into penalties for not declaring on time.
Why Managing It Yourself Can Be Very Costly
It is tempting to think that "I can handle this with patience and a Google translator." The reality is that patience does not replace technical knowledge, and international tax deadlines do not wait for you to finish understanding a form in Czech.
It also doesn’t help much to go to the generalist firm in your neighbourhood, the one that handles a bit of everything: divorces, rentals, a simple inheritance among siblings living on the same street. International taxation is a specialty in itself, and in August, with half the country on holiday, management errors multiply because everything is done in a rush, with no time to properly investigate each case.
The most common result: deadlines expire without you realising, surcharges for late filing of the Inheritance Tax, and assets abroad that remain "frozen" for months because no one coordinated the documentation properly between countries. All of this translates into lost money, lost time, and, above all, a lot of added stress at a moment that is already delicate.
What Works: Real Coordination Between Jurisdictions
When the inherited estate is spread between Spain and another country, what makes the difference is not just knowing Spanish succession law, but understanding how both legislations interact with each other. This involves coordinating notaries, translating and legalising documents correctly, accurately calculating the applicable tax in each territory, and, above all, avoiding the heir from ending up paying more due to simple ignorance.
A firm with real experience in international inheritances knows what documentation to request from minute one, which deadlines are non-negotiable and which have some leeway, and how to prevent a procedure that could be resolved in a few months from dragging on for years due to lack of foresight.
If Your Inheritance Includes Assets Outside Spain, Now Is the Time to Act
Summer is not going to wait for "things to calm down" to resolve themselves. The longer an empty property abroad or a blocked account remains unmanaged, the more complicated (and expensive) it becomes later. Tax deadlines run just as they do in August as in any other month of the year, and penalties for late filing do not understand family holidays.
If you are in Barcelona and have encountered an inheritance this summer that includes properties, accounts, or investments outside of Spain, the most sensible thing to do is to seek the help of professionals who regularly handle these types of cases, not as an exception in their daily routine. A specialised team with an international perspective can review your specific situation, detect what deadlines you actually have looming, and propose a clear strategy before the problem becomes even more entrenched.
Contacting specialists in international inheritances as soon as possible is not a luxury, it is the most reasonable way to avoid tax shocks and to recover what you are legitimately entitled to as soon as possible.
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