You have inherited an apartment or a house in Valencia and you are thinking of selling it. It is one of the most common sales, and one of the most confusing: the inheritance has to be accepted, two taxes paid before you can sell, the heirs need to agree and, very often, everything has to be handled from another city or another country. This guide sets out the right order, what is actually paid in the Valencian Community and the tax decision that changes the most money when you sell.
In short, to sell an inherited property in Valencia:
- Accept the inheritance before a notary: until then, the property is not yours and cannot be sold.
- File the inheritance tax return within six months of the death. In Valencia, children, spouses and parents get a 99% tax credit.
- File the municipal plusvalía on the inheritance and claim the 95% relief within the same deadline.
- Register the property in your name at the Land Registry.
- If there are several heirs, agree on the price and the split before listing.
- Sell: you will pay a second municipal plusvalía and, if there is a gain, tax on it.
1. Can you sell an inherited property before accepting the inheritance?
No. Until the inheritance is accepted, the property remains in the name of the deceased and nobody can sign its sale. The first step is the deed of acceptance and allocation of the estate (escritura de aceptación y adjudicación de herencia) before a Spanish notary, in which the heirs accept and divide the assets.
To sign it, the notary will ask for:
- the death certificate;
- the certificate from the Spanish General Register of Wills, which shows whether there was a will and before which notary it was signed;
- an authorised copy of the last will or, if there is none, the declaration of heirs;
- the certificate of life insurance cover;
- the title deed of the property and the latest IBI (property tax) receipt;
- the passport or ID and NIE of each heir.
In theory, the acceptance and the sale can be signed on the same day at the same notary. In practice, it is best to have the inheritance registered at the Land Registry before looking for a buyer: the buyer’s bank will ask for it before granting a mortgage, and a property registered in your name sells without surprises. If you inherited from abroad, this article explains the full procedure: what to do if you inherit property in Spain from abroad.
2. The inheritance taxes, before you sell
Inheritance tax: next to nothing for close family in Valencia
The deadline is six months from the date of death, extendable by another six if you apply within the first five months. In the Valencian Community, children, grandchildren, spouses and parents each deduct an allowance of €100,000 and then apply a 99% credit on the tax due. In most family inheritances, the final tax is symbolic.
Since June 2026, siblings, uncles, aunts, nephews and nieces also get a 25% credit, rising to 50% in June 2027.
If the deceased lived in the Valencian Community, the return is filed with the Valencian Tax Agency. If the deceased did not live in Spain, the heirs can still apply the Valencian rules when most of the assets in Spain are located in the region, whatever their own country of residence.
Municipal plusvalía on the inheritance, with 95% relief
Inheriting also triggers the municipal plusvalía, which taxes the increase in land value during the years the deceased owned the property. The deadline is the same: six months, extendable to one year. Valencia City Council grants 95% relief on the tax for inheritances in favour of descendants, ascendants and spouses, but it must be claimed within that deadline. Miss it and it is lost.
3. The decision that matters most when you sell: the value you declare on the inheritance
This is the point almost nobody explains, and the one that changes the most money.
When you sell, the Spanish tax office will calculate your gain by deducting from the sale price the value at which you inherited the property, meaning the value stated in your inheritance tax return, which cannot exceed market value. That value cannot be lower than the cadastral reference value.
An example. You inherit an apartment in Valencia with a reference value of €150,000 and a market value of €220,000. You sell it a year later for €220,000.
- If you declared €150,000 on the inheritance, your gain will be about €70,000, less costs, taxed at 19% to 23% for a Spanish resident, or 19% for a non-resident.
- If you declared the real value of €220,000, your gain will be close to zero.
With Valencia’s 99% credit, declaring the real value barely changes your inheritance tax. It can, however, save you thousands of euros when you sell. So if you plan to sell, get a market valuation before filing the inheritance tax return, not after. Every case is different: check yours with your tax adviser or lawyer.
Two more details work in your favour:
- The gain built up by the deceased during their lifetime is not taxed.
- For tax purposes, your purchase date is the date of death, not the date the property was originally bought.
4. Selling with several heirs
Most inheritances are shared between siblings. Until the sale, the property belongs to all of them jointly and, to sell it as a whole, every heir must sign. Each receives their share of the price, and each is taxed on their own gain.
A few rules that prevent most deadlocks:
- Agree on the minimum price and a single point of contact before listing.
- Decide who advances the selling costs and how they come off the split.
- If any heir lives abroad, have them sign a power of attorney early: it is what delays signings the most.
What if one heir does not want to sell? The options, from the friendliest to the toughest:
- Buy out their share. The others pay them their percentage and keep the property.
- Sell only your share. It is legal, although a share of a property sells less easily and for less. The other heirs have a pre-emption right to buy it at the same price.
- Court-ordered division. Under Spanish law nobody is obliged to remain a co-owner: any heir can ask a judge to end the co-ownership. If the property cannot be divided, it is sold at auction, usually below its value. It is the last resort, and the threat alone is often enough to reach an agreement.
5. When you sell: the second plusvalía and capital gains tax
The sale itself works like any other. You will also need the energy performance certificate, the community certificate and the land registry extract, as explained in our step-by-step guide to selling your apartment in Valencia.
What is specific to an inherited property is that you pay tax twice in a short time:
- A second municipal plusvalía, this time on the sale. If you sell soon after inheriting, the land will have gained little value and it will be low. There is no relief on this one.
- Capital gains tax: 19% to 28% if you are tax resident in Spain, a flat 19% if you are not. In that case, the buyer withholds 3% of the price and pays it to the tax office on account. The 3% withholding for non-residents.
The main-home reinvestment exemption does not apply here: the inherited property was not your main home.
6. Selling an inherited property without living in Valencia
This is the situation of many heirs: children living in Madrid, London or Amsterdam who inherit their parents’ apartment in Valencia. Everything can be done remotely with a power of attorney, signed before a notary or at the Spanish consulate in your country, with a Hague apostille if you sign before a foreign notary. You will need an NIE. Selling by power of attorney, step by step.
In the meantime, the property keeps generating costs: community fees, IBI, insurance, utilities. A closed apartment deteriorates and, if it has been empty for months, it is worth checking it before the photos.
7. How long does it take to sell an inherited property?
Two timelines add up. The inheritance: between one and six months, depending on how quickly the documents come together and the heirs agree. And the sale: at our agency, about two months on average at a realistic price, plus the period agreed in the arras contract until the deed. What stretches the timeline is rarely the market, and almost always an heir who does not sign or a missing document.
If you would rather hand it over, here is how we sell your property in Valencia, even when none of the heirs lives here.
Frequently asked questions
Can I sell an inherited property in Spain without accepting the inheritance?
No. You first sign the deed of acceptance and allocation of the estate before a notary and pay the related taxes. It is then advisable to register the property in your name at the Land Registry, because the buyer’s bank will ask for it.
How much inheritance tax is paid in Valencia?
Very little for close family. Children, grandchildren, spouses and parents each deduct €100,000 and apply a 99% credit on the tax due. Siblings, uncles, aunts, nephews and nieces get a 25% credit since June 2026 and 50% from June 2027.
What taxes do I pay when I sell an inherited property in Valencia?
The municipal plusvalía on the sale and capital gains tax. The gain is calculated on the value declared on the inheritance, which is why it pays to declare the real market value if you plan to sell soon.
What happens if one heir does not want to sell?
The others can buy out their share, or each heir can sell their own share. Without agreement, any heir can ask a court to divide the property, and it usually ends up sold at auction below its value.
Can I sell an inherited property in Valencia if I live abroad?
Yes. With a power of attorney and an NIE, the acceptance of the inheritance, the taxes and the sale can all be done without travelling. As a non-resident, you will pay 19% on the gain and the buyer will withhold 3% of the price.
Have you inherited a property in Valencia? We provide a free valuation, also useful for your inheritance tax return, and we handle the sale even when the heirs live abroad. Request a valuation.
General information based on the rules in force in October 2026. This is not tax or legal advice: every inheritance is different, check your own situation with a professional.