Accountants and corporate service providers in Santa Cruz de Tenerife

Local companies first

The client groups reflect an island economy. Small and medium businesses are named by 9 firms, self-employed professionals by 8, individuals by 7, the self-employed by 5 and companies by 4. Foreign investors are named by 3 firms and non-resident property owners by 2. Ten of the 26 firms say foreign clients are a focus.

The sector list is notably local: restaurants and bars, hairdressing, car repair, tourist activities, retail, installation firms and film and audiovisual work appear at one firm each, next to startups (3 firms) and real estate (2). A founder planning a hospitality or service business will find firms used to small premises, licences and payroll for a handful of staff.

Entity types

Limited companies are named by 4 firms, ZEC companies by 2 and S.L. and S.A. by 2 each. Cooperatives appear at 2 firms. A holding company, a sole proprietorship and special purpose vehicles are named at one firm each. The ZEC mention refers to the special zone of the Canary Islands; ask for its conditions in writing before you rely on it.

Languages

Spanish is offered by 26 firms and English by 9. One firm works in Mandarin Chinese, one in Russian and one in French. The English group is smaller than in the coastal mainland cities, so a founder who needs English should confirm it at the first call.

Services

Twenty-four firms handle accounting and 23 handle company formation. Payroll is offered by 18, VAT by 15, corporate secretarial by 7, audit by 5 and residency or visa support by 5. One firm offers a virtual office, and one helps with bank accounts. Registrations include the chartered economists of the island and the tax adviser register.

A short list of registrations is stated by the firms, including the register of tax advisers and of expert accountants. Ask to see the registration if your company needs an audit or a tax opinion.

Because most firms here are small practices, ask who prepares your accounts and who signs them, and how the practice handles filing deadlines when a partner is away. Ask also how the monthly pack reaches you and in which language, since an owner abroad cannot easily visit the office.

Finally, ask for the scope in writing: which returns the fee covers, which are extra, and what the firm charges when the tax office sends a query about a year already filed.

Next steps

For the step-by-step law of company creation, read the Spain country guide. Close pages on the island are La Laguna, Puerto de la Cruz and Los Cristianos, and the other main island city is Las Palmas. Send one free quote request to reach several firms.