Online Business Investment on the Costa Blanca

Why run an online business from the Costa Blanca

• ✦Beckham Law: 24% flat IRPF on Spanish-source income up to €600k, for 6 years (inbound founders only).
• ✦Digital Nomad Visa: 24% flat regime applies to foreign-employer income; valid 3+2 years; family included.
• ✦Operating cost ~35% lower than London/Amsterdam (office, talent, lifestyle).
• ✦Mature payment infrastructure (Stripe, Adyen, GoCardless full Spanish support).
• ✦EU VAT OSS regime: single Spanish registration covers EU-wide B2C sales.

What investors are buying

Structuring for Spanish tax efficiency

Three common structures: (1) autónomo with Beckham Law — simplest for solo founders, 24% flat IRPF, IVA quarterly. (2) Spanish SL with foreign holdco — owner takes salary under Beckham, retained profits taxed at 25% (or 15% under Startup Law for innovative startups). (3) Foreign holdco only with non-resident director — works while staying under the 183-day rule but is fragile and risks 'permanent establishment' challenges from Hacienda.

The right answer depends on revenue, exit plan and whether your customer base is B2C in EU (need OSS) or B2B globally (Spanish VAT-exempt reverse charge mostly). Always confirm with a cross-border tax adviser before incorporating.

Acquisition playbook

• ✦Source via Flippa, Empire Flippers, FE International, Acquire — international marketplaces with verified financials.
• ✦For larger deals (€500k+), specialist boutiques (Quiet Light, Website Closers) and direct outreach work better.
• ✦Diligence: 12 months of Stripe/PayPal raw exports, Google Analytics + Search Console access, Ahrefs/SEMrush historical traffic, supplier invoices, ad-account history.
• ✦Earn-out: typically 60–80% cash at close, 20–40% over 12–24 months tied to revenue retention. Critical for content sites where algorithm risk is real.
• ✦Migration plan agreed before closing — domain, hosting, payment processors, ad accounts. Underestimated risk #1.