Commercial Sale and Purchase Agreement Spain

A Commercial Sale and Purchase Agreement (Contrato de Compraventa Mercantil) in Spain is a written contract under which one party (the seller — vendedor) sells goods, merchandise, or movable assets to another party (the buyer — comprador) for an agreed price, where both parties act as merchants (comerciantes) or the sale has a commercial character, governed principally by Articles 325 through 345 of the Código de Comercio (Real Decreto de 22 de agosto de 1885). Article 325 of the Código de Comercio defines the commercial sale (compraventa mercantil) as a sale concluded with the purpose of reselling the goods for profit — distinguishing it from the civil sale (compraventa civil) governed by Código Civil Articles 1445–1537, which applies when neither party acts as a merchant or the sale lacks a commercial character.

The Código de Comercio establishes specific rules for the compraventa mercantil that differ from the civil regime in several important respects. Under Article 327 of the Código de Comercio, if no delivery term is agreed, the buyer may demand delivery and the seller is obliged to comply within 24 hours of contract formation. Article 330 CC establishes that the buyer's failure to object to the quantity or quality of goods delivered within 4 days of receipt (or within the period agreed by the parties) constitutes acceptance (conformidad tácita) — a strict rule that contrasts with the more flexible civil regime. Article 336 of the Código de Comercio permits the seller to demand the return of goods if payment is not made within the period agreed, under specific conditions.

For international commercial sales involving Spanish parties, the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG — Convención de Viena de 1980) applies automatically under Article 1 CISG where both parties have their places of business in contracting states — Spain ratified the CISG on 17 July 1990 (effective 1 August 1991). Parties may exclude the CISG under Article 6 by express agreement. The CISG governs: formation of the sales contract (Articles 14–24), obligations of the seller including delivery and conformity (Articles 30–52), obligations of the buyer including payment and notice of non-conformity (Articles 53–70), and remedies for breach (Articles 45–88).

The Incoterms 2020 published by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) are widely used in Spanish international commercial sales to define the point of delivery, risk transfer, and allocation of freight and insurance costs. Common Incoterms in Spanish commercial practice include: EXW (Ex Works — fábrica del vendedor), FCA (Free Carrier), DAP (Delivered at Place), and DDP (Delivered Duty Paid). The choice of Incoterm affects the parties' IVA (Impuesto sobre el Valor Añadido) and customs obligations — exports from Spain are zero-rated for IVA under Article 21 of Ley 37/1992 del IVA, while intra-EU supplies are exempt under Article 25, requiring the buyer's valid EU VAT registration number (NIF-IVA) for the exemption to apply.

For domestic commercial sales within Spain between IVA-registered businesses (sujetos pasivos del IVA), the seller must issue a factura (invoice) complying with the Reglamento de Facturación (Real Decreto 1619/2012) within specific deadlines. The factura must include: the seller's NIF, the buyer's NIF, invoice date, consecutive invoice number, description of goods, tax base (base imponible), IVA rate applied (general 21%, reduced 10%, super-reduced 4%), and the total IVA amount. From January 2026, the Agencia Tributaria's Verifactu/SII real-time invoice reporting system will expand its mandatory scope to additional taxpayer categories.

Payment terms in Spanish commercial sales are governed by Ley 3/2004, de 29 de diciembre, por la que se establecen medidas de lucha contra la morosidad en las operaciones comerciales, which implements EU Directive 2011/7/EU on combating late payment. Under Ley 3/2004, payment terms may not exceed 60 calendar days from delivery for commercial transactions. Late payment automatically triggers statutory interest (interés de demora) at the reference rate published semi-annually by the Banco de España plus 8 percentage points, plus a fixed recovery fee (indemnización) of €40 per invoice under Article 5 Ley 3/2004.

A Commercial Sale and Purchase Agreement in Spain is required whenever merchants (comerciantes) — businesses, autónomos, or companies — buy and sell goods, merchandise, raw materials, or movable assets on a commercial basis.

A Contrato de Compraventa Mercantil is needed for business-to-business (B2B) sales of goods between Spanish companies or autónomos — covering the sale of industrial equipment, raw materials, finished goods, vehicles, technology hardware, or any other movable commercial asset where both parties act in their commercial capacity.

A commercial sale agreement is required when a Spanish exporter (exportador) sells goods to a foreign buyer — particularly when the CISG (United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods) applies and the parties need to agree Incoterms, payment terms (letter of credit, SEPA transfer, or advance payment), and jurisdiction.

A Compraventa Mercantil is needed when a Spanish distributor or wholesaler (mayorista) purchases goods from a manufacturer or supplier for resale — the agreement must address quantity, price per unit, delivery schedule, quality specifications, and inspection rights.

A commercial sale contract is required for transactions covered by Ley 3/2004 de morosidad — to document payment terms not exceeding 60 days, agree late interest at the statutory reference rate plus 8%, and comply with the anti-late-payment framework applicable to all B2B commercial transactions in Spain.

A Compraventa Mercantil is also needed when a Spanish company purchases goods from a foreign supplier — for import transactions requiring customs clearance by the Agencia Tributaria (AEAT) under Reglamento (UE) 952/2013 (Código Aduanero de la Unión), with import IVA (IVA a la importación) payable at the border or deferred under the IVA diferido system available to Spanish IVA-registered importers.

Parties in Spain should prepare a Commercial Sale and Purchase Agreement Spain proactively rather than waiting for a dispute to arise. Courts interpret agreements based on the written terms rather than oral representations. Under the Ley de Sociedades de Capital (LSC) RDL 1/2010, the Registro Mercantil maintains the register of Spanish companies. The Código de Comercio 1885 governs commercial obligations. The Agencia Estatal de Administración Tributaria (AEAT) administers Impuesto sobre Sociedades (IS) under Ley 27/2014. The Comisión Nacional de los Mercados y la Competencia (CNMC) enforces competition law. The Código Civil governs general contractual obligations under Article 1255. Where the transaction involves regulated activities, prior approval from the relevant authority may be required before execution.

A valid Commercial Sale and Purchase Agreement in Spain under Código de Comercio Articles 325–345 must contain the following essential elements to define the parties' commercial obligations and create an enforceable B2B transaction.

Identification of Parties: Full legal name, NIF/CIF, Registro Mercantil details, and address of both seller (vendedor) and buyer (comprador), confirming their status as merchants (comerciantes) or IVA-registered businesses (sujetos pasivos del IVA).

Description of Goods (Mercancías): A precise description of the goods being sold — quantity, unit of measure, technical specifications, quality standards, catalogue reference numbers, and any applicable CE marking or product certification requirements under Spanish or EU product regulations.

Price (Precio): The unit price and total price in euros (or agreed currency), including whether prices are inclusive or exclusive of IVA. For intra-EU sales, confirmation of the buyer's valid EU VAT/NIF-IVA number to support zero-rating. For exports outside the EU, application of the zero-rate under Article 21 of Ley 37/1992 del IVA.

Delivery Terms: The agreed Incoterm (Incoterms 2020, ICC) or domestic delivery point, date or schedule, and the point of risk transfer from seller to buyer. Under Código de Comercio Article 331, risk passes to the buyer on delivery of the goods to the carrier designated by the buyer.

Payment Terms (Condiciones de Pago): The payment deadline — not exceeding 60 calendar days from delivery under Ley 3/2004 de morosidad — payment method (SEPA bank transfer, letter of credit, documentary collection), and late payment interest at the Banco de España reference rate plus 8 percentage points under Article 7 Ley 3/2004.

Inspection and Acceptance: The buyer's right to inspect goods on delivery and the timeframe for notifying non-conformity (defectos de calidad o cantidad) — under Article 330 of the Código de Comercio, objection must be made within 4 days of receipt or sooner as agreed.

Product Warranties: The seller's warranty (garantía) for latent defects (vicios ocultos) under Articles 1484–1499 CC and any commercial warranty beyond the statutory minimum, including the procedure for claiming warranty repairs, replacement, or price reduction.

Force Majeure (Fuerza Mayor): A clause addressing events beyond the parties' reasonable control — natural disasters, strikes, supply chain disruptions, or government restrictions — and their effect on delivery obligations under Article 1105 CC.

Invoicing: Compliance with Real Decreto 1619/2012 (Reglamento de Facturación) — the seller must issue compliant facturas within the deadlines set by Articles 11–16 of the Reglamento, including all mandatory invoice data for IVA deduction by the buyer.

Governing Law and Jurisdiction: Spanish law — Código de Comercio Articles 325–345 and Código Civil Articles 1445–1537 — or the CISG (for international sales) as the governing law; and the competent Spanish Juzgado de lo Mercantil or ICC/CIMA arbitration as the dispute resolution mechanism.

Forms-legal.com provides this Commercial Sale and Purchase Agreement Spain template as a starting point. For high-value transactions, international sales subject to the CISG, or transactions with complex payment arrangements, consultation with a Spanish abogado mercantilista is recommended.

Additional compliance elements for a Commercial Sale and Purchase Agreement Spain used in Spain include: Under the Ley de Sociedades de Capital (LSC) RDL 1/2010, the Registro Mercantil maintains the register of Spanish companies. The Código de Comercio 1885 governs commercial obligations. The Agencia Estatal de Administración Tributaria (AEAT) administers Impuesto sobre Sociedades (IS) under Ley 27/2014. The Comisión Nacional de los Mercados y la Competencia (CNMC) enforces competition law. The Código Civil governs general contractual obligations under Article 1255. Forms-legal.com provides this template as a starting point for Spain-compliant documentation.