Lynn R

Some voices in Andalucian business circles are starting to be raised, calling for the tax and residency treatment of foreign investors in property, etc. to be improved, citing things like the overseas assets declaration requirements and inheritance tax which concerns many on the forum:-


http://www.diariosur.es/v/20130929/m...-20130929.html

I have my doubts as to whether such calls will have any influence on Government thinking, as after all expats can't vote any Party into or out of office, and I wonder how well it would go down with the Spanish electorate if measures were to be introduced that meant that immigrants (which is what we are) were treated more favourably in tax terms than they themselves are. But you never know!

Lenox

There are some areas where we European settlers could receive better treatment - like giving us a carte de sejour or our old residence card instead of the demeaning passport/green-letter-from-the-police combo.
Also fixing the 'illegal houses' situation would do everyone some good - create jobs and income, improve Spain's reputation abroad and allow the Prior's, after 69 months camped in their garage, to have a home again.
A modest campaign to tell the Spanish that we are not leaching off their social security or their sanidad and the chance of a small voice in Europe would all be positive moves.
But what do I know, the true experts on foreigners here in Spain are always Spaniards...

Domino

if you read many of the other threads on BES you will find the true experts on Spain are those ex-expats who don't even live in the country any more. They seem to spend all night trawling the internet for negative stories about Spain to dump on our eggs and bacon breakfast plate.

Yes, it would go a long way if they could even commence to regularise the Illegal Properties situation.
Even ensuring that punitive action will be taken against abogado's and notaries who were present at the exchange would be a start.
Also drumming out the officials from the local Ayuntamiento's who sanctioned the issue of Habitation Certificates that are worthless.
And this will not just benefit the guiri's, as there are many Spanish national's who are stuck in the same position.

In the meantime, Andalucia like a number of other regional governments, has seen fit to issue new urbanisation areas, ignoring those areas that have problems.

The usual problems of
a) he who shouts the loudest
b) not what you know but who you know
are more relevent than people realise.

Neptuno

More and more people are deciding not to live in Spain permanently, as they had planned, and to just have a holiday home;this cannot be good for Spain who are missing out on a lot of revenue.
Changes to the tax system, CGT/IHT/ 720 have increased the fears of people who do not want to see their hard earned money, built up for years in the UK and intended for their enjoyment of retirement, plundered by the Spanish tax office , which seems unable to do anything about the black economy-20%-and tax evaders, who include a lot of expats, with their various cash in hand businesses, and reluctance to register on the Spanish tax system.

Domino

I believe Spain should be seriously looking at all its options for the future, short term as well as medium to long.
As we discussed in another thread awhile ago, the Chinese managed to get a number of concessions and still taught the Spanish a few things about corruption.

I don't see that immigrants who are making that long term commitment should be treated a great difference to the locals. The problem I have is with peope like those from the steppes and sand dunes coming in, buying a house to get the tax concessions and not using the place for 3-4 years. That is tax evasion, but then .............

We know that it isn't just the Brits who leave undeclared assets in the home country, due to onerous inheritance laws etc.
What happens in other EU countries where people settle in this modern floating society we now live in. Do those who take out a new nationality actually have to give up their plush houses and lifestyle "back home" ??

But isn't this what the EU has been talking about for quite a while - the harmonisation of taxation across the "state" rather than individual countries doing what they please.
Just look at the reasons behind Depardieu leaving France.

stuboy

Me included. I, like many others have worked hard in the UK to fund what I hope will be a comfortable retirement.

I am perfectly willing to pay my way in Spain but not to the point of risking my capital to a government who frankly has done nothing for me. When I visit Spain I spend my money freely amongst Spanish bars, restaurants, car hire, petrol stations, hotels, tourist attractions etc.

That is as far as I am prepared to go. I will not allow my years of effort to be subjected to review and plunder by arguably the most corrupt govt. in Europe.

Domino

100% + +
there really are times when I regret not taking the flipflops/table cloth option of Malaysia

although not necessarily to do with corruption, but with Italy at the junction yet again how stable are they as they have had more governments than they have had years since the end of WWII.

and how stable are they as a nation