NIF and CIF explained in English

NIF and CIF are Spain's tax identification numbers — required on invoices to identify you and your clients.

Definition

NIF (Número de Identificación Fiscal) is a personal tax number used by autónomos and individuals. CIF (Código de Identificación Fiscal) is a company tax number used by SLs and other legal entities. Both serve as business identifiers on invoices.

When you see this term

You will need your NIF or CIF on every invoice you issue. You will also need your client's NIF or CIF on invoices to Spanish business clients.

Real-world example

An autónomo from the UK living in Spain will have a NIF linked to their NIE number. A Spanish SL company will have a CIF starting with a letter (e.g. B12345678).

Common mistake

A common mistake is leaving the NIF/CIF blank on invoices to business clients. For invoices over certain amounts, or to Spanish businesses claiming IVA, the client's tax number is required.

What to ask your gestor

Your gestor can confirm your NIF or CIF if you are unsure, and can advise when client tax numbers are required on your invoices.

How BillBee helps

BillBee stores client NIF/CIF details in your client database, so they appear correctly on every invoice without re-entering them each time.