Before anything else, the heir must decide whether to accept the inheritance or renounce it. La aceptación puede hacerse de forma pura y simple o with the benefit of inventory, which limits the heir's liability to the value of the assets received.

The renunciation must be formalised before a notary. It cannot be partial: either the whole inheritance is accepted or it is renounced in full.

• Outright acceptance: liable with present and future assets
• Acceptance with benefit of inventory: limits liability to the inherited estate
• Renunciation: passes to the next heir according to the order of succession
• If there are large debts, it is advisable to review with a specialist before accepting

The first documentary step is to determine who the heirs are. Basic documents:

• Death certificate (Civil Registry)
• Certificate of last wills (Ministry of Justice, 15 working days after the death)
• Certificate of insurance contracts with death cover

If there is a will, it is enough to request an authorised copy from the notary. If there is no will, you must open a declaration of intestate heirs before a notary, which determines the heirs according to the Catalan civil order.

Once the heirs are identified, the inventory follows: the detailed, valued list of all the deceased's assets and debts. For properties, the value is determined by the cadastral reference value, unless the declared value is higher.

After the inventory comes the partition: the specific allocation of assets to each heir. If everyone agrees, a deed of acceptance and partition of the inheritance is executed before a notary.

Inheritance and Gift Tax (ISD) is paid to the Catalan Tax Agency (ATC) within six months of the death. Form 660 (statement of assets) and one form 650 per heir (self-assessment) are filed.

Catalonia offers tax benefits for direct heirs:

• Group II personal allowance (children over 21, spouse, ascendants): €100,000 per heir.
• Allowance for the deceased's main residence: 95% of the value, joint limit of €500,000. Condition: keep it for at least five years.
• Group II tax credit: progressive, up to 99% on the first €100,000.
• Spouse or stable partner: 99% tax credit, with no limit.

In practice, an inheritance of a main residence between parents and children in Catalonia worth up to €500,000 pays a very modest amount of ISD (in many cases, less than 1% of the value).

Alongside ISD, the heir must pay the municipal capital gains tax on acquisition upon death. Plazo: six months from the date of death.

In Barcelona, heirs who receive the deceased's main residence and keep it for a set period can benefit from a tax credit of up to 95% of the tax, depending on the degree of kinship.

Once ISD and the capital gains tax are paid, the next step is to register the home in the new owner's name at the Land Registry. Without that registration, no sale can be completed.

The registrar requires the deed of acceptance and partition, proof of payment of ISD and capital gains tax, and the death certificates. The process usually takes 15-30 days.

If the home is held in undivided co-ownership by several heirs, any significant act requires unanimity: renting, renovating, selling.

• Dissolution of co-ownership: one co-heir buys out the others. Taxed at 1.5% in Catalonia (AJD), much less than a sale at 10% (ITP).
• Joint sale to a third party: everyone sells at the same time. The cleanest option when no heir wants to keep it.
• Court-ordered division: if there is no agreement, any co-owner can ask the court for division, which usually ends with an auction being ordered. The worst option.

The real estate agent's role in these cases is not just to sell: it is to mediate and bring order to the conversation between heirs.

Once the home is registered, the heirs can sell it like any other owner. But there is a crucial tax nuance: for the IRPF calculation on that sale, the acquisition value that counts is the one declared for ISD, not what the deceased originally paid.

Declaring a low value for inheritance tax reduces the ISD payable today, but increases the capital gain in the future. In Barcelona, it is almost always advisable to declare the real value for inheritance tax.

IRPF is taxed in the savings base at rates from 19% to 30%.

Selling is not always the best decision. The three typical scenarios:

• Sell is the most sensible option when the heirs live far away, the home needs costly renovations, or there are several co-heirs with different views.
• Rent makes sense if the home is in good condition, in a high-demand area and the heirs can wait. But it requires a management agreement between co-heirs.
• Keeping it as a second home only if the heirs have the financial means to cover the costs and a real intended use.

The rule of thumb: if the heirs can't agree within six months, selling is almost always the best decision. Prolonged co-ownership erodes both assets and family relationships.