For years, the claim that “the Spanish Tax Agency is going to monitor Bizum” has been repeated without enough nuance. The key change planned for 2026 is not that Bizum itself becomes taxable. A payment method is not income: the tax treatment depends on the underlying transaction. A transfer between friends to share a meal or repay a loan is not automatically taxable income. By contrast, payments for professional services, sales, rent or commissions may need to be reported, whether received by Bizum, card, a point-of-sale terminal (POS), a payment platform or an e-money account.
The change is the wider and more frequent financial information available to the Spanish Tax Agency (AEAT), enabling it to compare third-party data with tax returns.
1. What changes in 2026
The 2026 Annual Tax and Customs Control Plan describes broader information about account ownership, business and professional POS receipts, payments by any type of card, payments linked to mobile phone numbers, payment and e-money accounts, new financial products, and cryptoasset balances and transactions. The reporting perimeter extends beyond traditional banks to payment and e-money institutions, branches and certain foreign providers serving residents or permanent establishments in Spain.
This reflects how people now receive money through virtual POS terminals, online payment platforms, neobanks, wallets, mobile apps and e-commerce gateways.
2. Bizum is not taxed, but the income may be
A private transfer to split a meal, share a gift or repay a small loan does not become taxable income merely because it was sent through Bizum. The position changes when the payment is for an economic activity: for example, a therapist charging for sessions, a tutor for lessons, a landlord for rent, an online seller for products, a consultant for digital services, or a creator receiving recurring payments. The relevant question is whether the underlying receipt is subject to Personal Income Tax (IRPF), VAT, Corporation Tax or another tax obligation and has been properly reported.
In short, the payment button is not what is taxed; the real transaction is.
3. Form 170: POS and mobile-linked payments
Form 170 is being configured as a monthly information return covering business and professional receipts through any type of card and payments associated with mobile phone numbers. The filing obligation rests with the reporting payment entities, not the merchant who receives the payment. The AEAT may use the information for assistance, verification, collection and fraud prevention, and compare it with VAT, IRPF or Corporation Tax returns, POS activity, recurring mobile payments and declared turnover.
4. Form 196: more types of accounts
The scope of Form 196 is being widened beyond conventional bank accounts to include current, savings, payment and credit accounts, term deposits and other accounts regardless of their commercial name. Payment and e-money institutions are also included as reporting entities. For tax purposes, the label attached to an account matters less than the balances and financial flows it carries.
5. New Form 174: information on cards
The new annual Form 174, “Information Return on All Types of Cards,” is due to be filed for the first time in January 2027 for information relating to 2026. Order HAC/747/2025 excludes cards where both total annual charges and total annual credits are below €25,000. This gives the AEAT additional data to identify inconsistencies; it does not mean that every card payment automatically triggers an audit.
6. Forms 171 and 181
The 2026 plan also refers to widening the reporting scope of Forms 171 and 181. Form 171 relates to information on deposits, withdrawals and collections of documents; Form 181 concerns loans, credit and financial transactions connected with real estate. This can improve traceability of financing, cash movements and property-related transactions, including in property, construction, rental and related-party contexts.
7. Cryptoassets: Forms 172, 721 and the planned Form 175
The plan anticipates greater use of information reported under Forms 172, 173 and 721, together with blockchain-tracing tools. Form 172 concerns cryptoasset balances and Form 721 cryptoassets held abroad. In connection with DAC8, the article reports plans to adapt existing returns and introduce Form 175 for cryptoasset service providers, replacing the former Form 173.
The AEAT’s focus includes identifying holders and undeclared gains, as well as cross-border platforms, non-custodial wallets and transfers that may obscure beneficial ownership. Cryptoasset users should keep records of purchases and sales, swaps, staking and other yields, airdrops, balances on foreign platforms, any Form 721 filing requirement, and consistency with their IRPF and Wealth Tax returns.
8. E-money, neobanks and foreign providers
Payment institutions, e-money institutions and certain foreign providers operating in Spain may also supply information. Digital accounts and payment services deserve particular attention when used for business receipts, e-commerce, international payments or platform activity.
9. Who should review their position
Those with recurring business receipts or possible discrepancies should pay special attention: self-employed people using Bizum, cards or POS; small shops; mobile professionals; tutors, trainers, therapists and consultants; content creators; frequent online sellers; landlords collecting electronically; users of neobanks or foreign accounts; cryptoasset holders; and companies whose cards or accounts may be used for shareholders’ or directors’ personal expenses.
10. What the AEAT may compare
Broader data may help identify POS receipts exceeding declared turnover, recurring mobile payments without invoices, undeclared business or rental income, unreported crypto transactions or capital gains, financial flows inconsistent with declared income, and foreign assets omitted where reporting is required. It does not necessarily mean an immediate inspection; it can improve the selection of cases for review.
11. Practical steps for self-employed people and small businesses
- Record receipts from POS, cards, business Bizum, bank transfers, platforms and cash.
- Check that VAT and IRPF or Corporation Tax returns are reasonably consistent with actual turnover.
- Keep personal and business receipts separate, including private Bizum transfers.
- Report taxable platform sales and identify digital or foreign accounts correctly.
- Keep documentation for crypto transactions and for significant family loans, gifts or transfers.
- Ensure that personal spending on company cards receives the proper tax treatment.
The strongest response to a tax query is being able to explain and document the transaction behind a payment.
12. Keep personal and business accounts separate
Mixing client receipts across a personal Bizum number, transfers, POS and cash can make records difficult to reconcile, even if the activity is legitimate. The same applies to neobank accounts, platform cards, e-wallets and payment apps. An account does not lose tax relevance because it is not perceived as a traditional bank account.
13. Keep records, without alarmism
Receiving money by card, Bizum or POS, using a neobank, holding cryptoassets or dealing with a foreign provider can all be lawful. The concern is hiding taxable income or filing returns inconsistent with the underlying activity. Good bookkeeping should make invoices, payment providers, accounts and tax returns tell the same story.
14. Conclusion
The headline for 2026 is not that Bizum itself will be taxed. It is that the AEAT expects a broader, more current view of financial flows through Forms 170, 174, 196, 171, 181, 172 and 721, and the planned Form 175. For compliant taxpayers, this should be manageable. For those receiving digital payments without reporting taxable income, the risk of adjustment increases.
The practical point is simple: the AEAT may know more about digital receipts and compare them with VAT, IRPF, Corporation Tax and information returns. Review and organise records before discrepancies arise.
Official reference: Order HAC/747/2025 (Spanish Official State Gazette).
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