Form 303 is the quarterly Value Added Tax (VAT) return. It’s the most important and frequent form for self-employed professionals and companies, as it allows you to settle output VAT from sales and input VAT from purchases.

With FacturaDirecta, you can generate Form 303 automatically with just one click. Create a free account and simplify your tax management.

Who must file Form 303?

The following are required to file Form 303:

• Self-employed professionals engaged in VAT-taxable activities
• Companies (corporations, partnerships, etc.)
• Professionals who invoice with VAT
• Any person or entity registered under the general VAT regime

Whether the result is to pay, to receive a refund, or even zero, filing the form is mandatory.

Exceptions: Who does NOT file Form 303?

The following do not file Form 303:

• Professionals under the equivalence surcharge regime
• VAT-exempt activities (education, healthcare, financial services, etc.)
• Non-taxable operations for VAT purposes

When is Form 303 filed?

Form 303 is filed quarterly, within the following deadlines:

• First quarter (January - March): From the 1st to the 20th of April
• Second quarter (April - June): From the 1st to the 20th of July
• Third quarter (July - September): From the 1st to the 20th of October
• Fourth quarter (October - December): From the 1st to the 30th of January of the following year

If the 20th (or 30th in the fourth quarter) falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or public holiday, the deadline is moved to the next business day.

Monthly VAT filing

Some companies are required to file Form 303 monthly instead of quarterly:

• Companies with annual transaction volumes exceeding €6 million
• Companies registered in the Monthly VAT Refund Register (REDEME)
• Companies under the group of entities regime

For monthly filings, the deadline is until the 20th (or 30th in December) of the month following the reporting period.

How to generate Form 303 with FacturaDirecta

Generating Form 303 for quarterly VAT with FacturaDirecta is very easy. Here are the steps:

1. Sign up for FacturaDirecta for free. No credit card, no commitment, no contract.
2. Add your sales and purchase invoices to the program. It’s very simple.
3. Generate Form 303 for quarterly VAT with one click.
4. Upload it to the AEAT website and you’re done.

The program automatically calculates output VAT, input VAT, and the result (to pay or to refund).

How does Form 303 work?

Form 303 performs the following calculation:

VAT to pay = Output VAT - Deductible input VAT

Key concepts:

• Output VAT: VAT you charge your customers on your sales invoices
• Input VAT: VAT you pay your suppliers on your purchase invoices
• Deductible VAT: Portion of input VAT you can deduct (not all expenses are deductible)

Result:

• If output VAT is greater than input VAT → To pay (you pay the Tax Agency)
• If input VAT is greater than output VAT → To offset (you offset in future quarters or request a refund)

Practical example of Form 303

Quarter: First quarter (January - March)

Sales (output VAT):

• Invoices issued: €10,000 (taxable base)
• Output VAT (21%): €2,100

Purchases (input VAT):

• Invoices received: €3,000 (taxable base)
• Input VAT (21%): €630

Calculation:

• Output VAT: €2,100
• Input VAT: -€630
• Amount to pay: €1,470

This amount of €1,470 is what you must pay to the Tax Agency via direct debit or at the bank.

Information included in Form 303

Form 303 includes multiple boxes with detailed information:

• Accrued VAT (transactions carried out): Sales at 21%, 10%, 4%, and intra-community transactions
• Deductible VAT (transactions incurred): Purchases at 21%, 10%, 4%, imports, etc.
• Period result: VAT to pay or to offset
• Offsets from previous quarters
• Filing result: Final amount to pay or to refund

Form 390: Annual summary

At the end of the year, in addition to filing Form 303 for the fourth quarter, you must also file Form 390, which is the annual VAT summary. This form consolidates all information from the four quarters and must be consistent with the filed Forms 303.

Form 390 filing deadline: From the 1st to the 30th of January of the following year.

Special VAT regimes

There are several special regimes that may affect Form 303 filing:

• Simplified regime: Based on modules, with predetermined calculations
• Equivalence surcharge regime: For retail merchants (do not file Form 303)
• Agriculture, livestock, and fishing regime: With special compensations
• Cash accounting regime: VAT is accrued upon collection, not upon invoicing
• Travel agency regime: With special margin rules

Each regime has its own particularities regarding Form 303 filing and calculation.

Penalties for not filing Form 303

Failure to file Form 303 or filing it late can result in financial penalties:

• Fixed fine of €200 for not filing or filing late (form with no result)
• Proportional fine of 1% to 2% of undeclared bases (minimum €300)
• Surcharges for late filing:
  • 5% if filed within the month following the deadline (without requirement)
  • 10% if filed after the following month (without requirement)
  • 15% if filed after requirement
  • 20% + interest if filed after inspection begins

Supplementary filing

If you detect errors or omissions in an already filed Form 303, you can file a supplementary return. This return replaces the previous one and must include all correct data.

Important: You must check the “Supplementary return” box and reference the previous return’s receipt number.

Other related forms

If you want to continue learning about tax forms, don’t forget to visit our pages dedicated to:

• Form 111 - Withholdings and advance income tax payments
• Form 115 - Withholdings on property rentals
• Self-employed - Everything about being self-employed

There you’ll find all the information about these forms and tax concepts.

Need help with your tax forms? With FacturaDirecta, tax form generation is automatic and error-free. Save time and avoid penalties. Start free now.