Spain proposes increasing social security fees for the self employed again

The Ministry of Inclusion and Social Security wants to increase self-employed contributions once again from next year.

Their proposal suggests that earning less than €670 per month should pay €217.37, while those earning more than €6,000 per month would pay the highest tier of €796.24.

Amounts range from €17 per month extra for low earners to €206 more for high earners, according to the document presented by the government presented to unions and self-employed associations.

It will mean that anyone really just starting to make any money between €1,167 and €1,300 will have to shell out €302 per month.

Self-employed workers really just starting to be financially stable with net income comparable to the average salary of an employee (between €2,030 and €2,330 gross per month) would be placed in the middle of the bracket. According to this proposal, they would go from paying €390 in 2025 to €428.53 per month next year.

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Proposed fees:

• Up to €670 per month: €217.37.
• Between €670 and €900 per month: €234.85.
• Between €900 and €1,166 per month €271.24.
• Between €1,166.7 and €1,300 per month: €302.
• Between €1,300 and €1,500 per month: €311.
• Between €1,500 and €1,700 per month: €322.
• Between €1,700 and €1,850 per month: €378.
• Between €1,850 and €2,030 per month: €403.
• Between €2,030 and €2,330 per month: €439.
• Between €2,330 and €2,760 per month: €456.
• Between €2,760 and €3,190 per month: €507.
• Between €3,190 and €3,620 per month: €550.
• Between €3,620 and €4,050 per month: €593.
• Between €4,050 and €6,000 per month: €648.
• Income over €6,000 per month: €796.

The government also wants further increases for 2027 with a scale between €234.73 and €1,002.49, and for 2028 between €252.1 and €1,208.73 for the lowest and highest earners, respectively.

The president of the National Federation of Self-Employed Workers' Associations (ATA), Lorenzo Amor, has spoken out against the increase and described it as a "terrible blow".

"We are not prepared for another blow to the self-employed, and the proposal will not have the endorsement of ATA. They can prepare the decree and take it to Congress, and let the political parties take the stand, but they can't count on ATA ," he stated.

He also said he hopes the political parties "reject" the Royal Decree Law in Congress.

On social network X, he expressed disappointment saying, "Not with our support” and also complained about further increases in 2027 and 2028.

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According to El País, Ministry sources have reported that the contribution increases are set to carry on until 2031, meaning that every year for the next six years, self employed workers in Spain would have to pay more and more in fees, further reducing the amount they'd have to live on.

This would comply, however, with the agreement signed between the government and self-employed associations in 2022, which included a gradual rollout of the contribution model based on actual income until 2032.

Spain first introduced social security fees based on real earnings in 2023. Before that, everyone paid a fixed amount, no matter what they earned.

While it meant that those earning the lowest amounts wouldn’t have to pay out as much, it was crippling for mid earners as anyone earning over €1,700 was forced to pay more than before.

Every year since then the fees have gradually decreased for anyone earning below €1,300 and gradually increased each year for anyone earning over €1,700 per month.