What is the equivalence surcharge?
The equivalence surcharge (recargo de equivalencia) is a special VAT regime in Spain that applies to certain retail merchants who sell products to end consumers without transforming the goods.
Under this regime, the supplier charges the merchant the applicable VAT plus an additional surcharge (for example, 5.2% on the standard rate). This surcharge applies only to purchases from suppliers, not to sales to the end customer.
Can the equivalence surcharge be configured in Shopify?
No. Shopify does not allow the equivalence surcharge (recargo de equivalencia) to be configured as an additional tax, an automatic surcharge, or a tax condition applicable to specific customers.
In addition, Shopify POS is designed for sales to end consumers (B2C) and not for complex tax scenarios or wholesale sales (B2B), which is where this regime typically applies.
Check the Shopify Help Center to learn how to set up taxes in your store.
How does this affect Comply?
Comply generates simple and full invoices based on the tax information it receives from Shopify POS. Comply does not configure taxes, apply tax surcharges, or manage exemptions: it reflects exactly the tax setup defined in Shopify.
If Shopify does not apply the equivalence surcharge (recargo de equivalencia), Comply cannot include it in the invoice.
What alternatives are available?
If you carry out wholesale sales or sell to self-employed individuals where the equivalence surcharge (recargo de equivalencia) needs to be applied, Shopify POS is not the right channel for those transactions. In that case:
Manage these sales outside of Shopify POS.
Use an invoicing tool that allows you to configure this regime correctly.
This way you can apply the correct tax treatment without affecting your B2C sales in Shopify.