Succession certificate of activity

If you or your company are going to buy a business from another entrepreneur (for example, a bar, a restaurant, or a small shop), once you become the owner of the business, there will be a continuity in the activity of the previous operator, so you will be jointly liable for any tax debts that they had , because it is understood that there is a "business succession."

Thus, for example, if you acquire a business in 2026 and later there is a VAT audit from 2024 that results in a tax payment, the Tax Agency could claim that tax from you.

Well, know that you can limit that liability if before making the purchase you request from the Tax Agency, with the prior consent of the seller, a detailed certification of the debts, penalties, and responsibilities of the business. In this way, your liability will be limited to the debts, penalties, and responsibilities that appear in the certificate and you will avoid surprises in the future.

For these purposes, the Tax Agency has three months to issue that certificate. If it does not issue it within that period, you would be completely exempt from the indicated liability and the Tax Agency could not claim any tax obligation incurred by the previous owner of the business.