The new €200 check is here: when can you apply?

The Spanish Tax Agency (AEAT) has already published the application section and the official date on its e-Office (Sede Electrónica). This aid will be paid as a one-off payment by bank transfer.

On December 27, the Council of Ministers approved the third package of aid measures to mitigate the economic and social consequences of the war in Ukraine. The measures include a €200 check to offset the rise in food prices (15.3% in November), which will benefit around 4.2 million families with annual income of up to €27,000 and assets not exceeding €75,000. However, pensioners and recipients of the Minimum Living Income (Ingreso Mínimo Vital) are excluded, since the 15% increase in their pensions and benefits is maintained for them.

In addition, the Government also decided to reduce VAT (IVA) from 4% to 0% on all basic foodstuffs (such as milk, eggs, fruit and vegetables, bread, and legumes) and from 10% to 5% on staple products such as oil and pasta, but meat and fish are left out. However, the reduction will be reversed on May 1 if core inflation (excluding food and energy) falls below 5.5%.
Those applying for the check have only a month and a half to submit their application, from February 15 to March 31, 2023, and must do so through the Tax Agency’s e-Office. In fact, the agency has already enabled the section on its e-Office where families will be able to apply for this aid and check the status of their application.
Who is the aid intended for?
Employees, self-employed workers, or unemployed persons registered with employment offices who do not receive other social benefits, such as pensions or the Minimum Living Income.
What requirements must beneficiaries meet?
They must have received gross income of less than €27,000 per year and have assets of less than €75,000. The main residence is excluded from the calculation of assets.
Income and assets will be calculated by aggregating those of the family members living in the same household: the applicant, his or her spouse or unmarried partner, and descendants and ascendants up to the second degree.
The income and assets of people who share an apartment without being related will not be aggregated.
Beneficiaries must have their habitual residence in Spain.

Who cannot apply for the €200 check?
Persons who, as of December 31, 2022, receive the Minimum Living Income, or pensions paid under the General Scheme and the Special Schemes of Social Security or under the State Civil Service Pension Scheme (Régimen de Clases Pasivas del Estado), as well as those who receive similar benefits that have been recognized but are not integrated into these schemes.
De jure directors (administradores de derecho) of a commercial company that had not ceased its activity as of December 31, 2022.
How to apply and what to do if the aid is denied
The application must be submitted through the e-Office of the Spanish Tax Agency by completing the electronic form made available for that purpose, which must necessarily include the bank account of the applicant into which the payment is to be made, since this €200 will be received as a one-off payment by bank transfer. Applicants will not need to provide any further documents, as the tax authorities will verify whether the income and asset requirements are met.
Navarre will manage the new €200 aid approved by the Council of Ministers on December 27, which is intended for families with income below €27,000 and assets below €75,000. Applicants with their tax domicile in the region who wish to access the aid must complete the form that the Navarre Regional Tax Authority (Hacienda Foral de Navarra) will shortly make available on its website for submitting the application. The one-off check may be applied for from February 15 until March 31, 2023. For the time being, it is not known how many people in Navarre could benefit from this aid, which is expected to reach 4.2 million families across Spain.
The decree further specifies that, if the application is rejected, the applicant will be notified of a proposed decision denying the application, which will indicate the details needed to consult the reasons for the denial on the Tax Agency’s e-Office. The applicant will then have a period of 10 days, counting from the day following notification of the proposed denial decision, to make submissions and to provide any documents and supporting evidence he or she considers relevant.
Once one month has elapsed, counting from the day following notification of that proposal, without any submissions, documents, or supporting evidence having been filed, the procedure will be concluded on the terms of the proposed denial, without the need for an express decision by the tax authorities. And, if three months elapse from the end of the application period without payment having been made or a proposed denial decision having been notified, the application may be deemed rejected.