What this letter is
It isn’t a letter, it’s an aviso (alert). An SMS or email tells you that Hacienda (the Spanish tax authority) has left you an electronic notification. The text usually starts like this: «La Agencia Tributaria ha emitido una notificación dirigida al NIF…» (the Tax Agency has issued a notification addressed to tax ID…). The real letter is in DEHú or on the AEAT portal, and until you open it you don’t know what it is: it could be a requerimiento (information request), a propuesta (proposed assessment), a providencia de apremio (enforcement notice) or a refund.
How to read it: the key parts
| What you see in the alert or the notification | What it means |
|---|---|
| Remitente (sender) of the SMS or email | Make sure it doesn’t ask you for data or payments. A real alert only alerts you. |
| NIF (tax ID, sometimes partial) | Who the notification is for: you, your company or someone you represent. |
| Fecha de puesta a disposición (date made available) | The day the letter became available. The 10 calendar days count from then. |
| Organismo emisor / Concepto (issuing body / subject, in DEHú) | Who is sending it and what it’s about, before you open it. |
| Fecha de notificación (notification date, when you open it) | The day that counts for working out your deadline. |
| CSV (código seguro de verificación) (secure verification code) | To check the document is genuine. |
| Tipo de documento (type of document) | Requerimiento, propuesta de liquidación, providencia de apremio, diligencia de embargo, etc. |
What deadline you have
- To open it: 10 calendar days from when it was made available, if you are required to receive electronic notifications or you signed up. If you don’t open it, it is treated as notified when that period ends.
- To act: the deadline given in the letter starts the day after notification.
Example: the notification is made available on the 3rd. If you don’t open it, it is treated as notified on the 13th. If it was a requerimiento with 10 working days, the period starts on the 14th. If you open it on the 5th, the period starts on the 6th. Opening it early gives you more time, not less.
What you can do
| Option | When it makes sense | What happens next |
|---|---|---|
| Open it in DEHú | Always, as soon as possible | You see the document and the notification date is fixed. |
| Open it on the AEAT portal | If you prefer Hacienda’s website | Same effect as DEHú. |
| Book an appointment at an office | If you have neither Cl@ve nor a certificate | They help you look it up. Go before the 10 days are up. |
| Ignore the message | Only if you’ve checked it’s fake | If it was real, it will be treated as notified anyway. |
What happens if you do nothing
- After 10 calendar days the notification is treated as delivered, even if you haven’t read it.
- You lose days from the deadline to reply, object or pay with a lower surcharge.
- If it was an unpaid assessment, the providencia de apremio with a surcharge will follow, and then possible seizures.
Common mistakes
- Tapping the link in the SMS. There are fraudulent copies. The AEAT doesn’t send you links for payments.
- Thinking no SMS means no notification. The alert is a courtesy; the notification is valid even if the alert doesn’t reach you.
- Leaving it for later. The 10 days are calendar days: weekends and holidays count.
- Not saving the PDF. Download it with its CSV so you have it to hand.
How to respond, step by step
- Don’t use the link in the message. Type dehu.redsara.es yourself or look up the Agencia Tributaria portal.
- Identify yourself with Cl@ve, a certificado digital (digital certificate) or DNIe (electronic ID card).
- Find the pending notification and open it. Note down the notification date.
- Download the PDF and check the type of document and the deadline.
- Act according to the letter: answer a requerimiento, object to a proposal or pay a providencia.
- If you can’t get access, book an appointment at an AEAT office before the 10 days are up.
Cartamiga tip: if you get an SMS like this and you aren’t expecting anything, don’t panic and don’t ignore it: log in to DEHú yourself in the next few days. It’s often something simple, like a refund or a request for a document.