paintermujer

We were speaking to someone last night and she brought up the topic of foreigners in Spain.She said about the chinese shops...that when they open they can operate for 5 years without paying any taxes.....after the 5 years are up the shop is put into someones elses name and the shop continues trading again for 5 years without paying tax...so they never pay tax.

I remember the 100 peseta shops largely being run by spanish people but the chinese have muscled in and taken over with no benefit to the economy.Anyones else heard about this?

She also mentioned pakistanis...that they go to the UK and get their drivers licences and other necessary paperwork to show that they are european residents...they then move to Spain with the right to reside as europeans.Cunning eh!

lynnxa

I've heard this about the Chinese shops before - but I'm sure I read that it's a bit of an urban myth - maybe someone knows for sure

I do know however, that pakistanis (or any other non-european) can't just go to the UK, get a British driving licence or whatever & suddenly become British - which is what they would have to do to become 'European' - it's actually quite complicated, takes a long time & can be costly too - unless they are British by descent in which case they would in certain circumstances be entitled to a British passport



simply being 'legally resident' in the UK wouldn't give them the automatic right to live in Spain

paintermujer

I dont know the whole truth either but was told this by an spanish ex policewoman...but Id heard the story about the chinese shops before but didnt really believe it until I heard it again last night.

As for the pakistanis..again no idea but there are lots that live around us so how exactly did they get residency here? Not that I really care...the ones who live in our town are actually very nice people.

lynnxa

how do any non-eurpoeans get residency here?

if legal - they would have applied for a visa of some kind via the Spanish consulate where they come from - there are lots of different visas available - some need money - a lot come on student visas - again, it's not easy to acquire any of these either

paintermujer

Very true.....there are 56 different nationalities registered on the Lliria padron with only 400 of them being british...mind bogling...cant even think of 56 nationalities.

petew

It's only in the last 10 - 12 years that all the todo shops have been taken over by Chinese plus lots of new ones opened. When we first came to live in Spain in 2000, we saw no chinese shops. How did they get residency? - presumably by bringing capital into Spain. I don't know how they make a living - in some towns they are on every corner. Just as an example in Altea, there are 8 that I can think of and probably more.

paintermujer

Yes I was in spain 1998-1999 and there were no chinese shops....I really liked the 100 peseta shops...some of the stuff was a bit naff but they did sell spanish made things too which were good value for money.

Pocaloca

It´s an urban myth that the Chinese bazaars don't pay tax. They pay the same as everyone else.

La Cámara aclara que los comercios chinos sí pagan impuestos

Los chinos sí pagan impuestos

lynnxa

thanks - I knew I had read it somewhere

steviedeluxe

A couple of articles in English on the Chinese in Spain.

http://elpais.com/elpais/2011/12/23/...47_850210.html

http://elpais.com/elpais/2012/08/27/...96_299391.html

Dick Dasterdly

They certainly knocked the 100pts shops on the head, which was a big shame as they were almost a part of Spanish culture,regardless of where the goods came from.

I find it hard to get my head around the increase in Chinese bazaars and I am not talking about pokey little souvenir shops, because there are a number of absolutely massive warehouse type places opened around my way selling just about everything imaginable.

As with some of the restaurants, I often wonder how many of them pay their way with often no more than a handful of customers in them at any one time.

It often crosses my mind that maybe there is something much more involved, such as investing dodgy or laundered money, but to be honest I haven't got a scrap of evidence to back it up, other than seeing some shady looking Chinese characters that call in these places once in a while and appear to give the premises and the staff a good checking over.

Dick Dasterdly

Judging from the second link the Chinese consider the Spanish to be still back in the dark ages in just about every possible respect.

agoreira

Reading the following, it seems there is an agreement in place between China and Spain, but only to ensure neither of them pay double "impuestos", ie tax in both countries. There is no mention of the 5 year rule, the guy describes it as an urban myth. It does say however that ALL businesses, Spanish, Chinese or whatever are exempt from paying any taxes for the first 2 years. He suggests the success of the Chinese is down to their culture, work ethic, they'd rather spend all day in the shop than slabbed out of the settee watching TV.

http://alasombradeltomate.es/2011/01...tos-en-espa-a/

Pocaloca

The head of Mercadona thinks the Chinese work ethic should be a lesson for us all ...
http://www.europapress.es/economia/n...307152432.html

Personally I think the Spanish have their priorities right, balancing work with family and leisure time. The young couple who run our local bazar chino are open all day every day (even Sundays) and haven't had a holiday for seven years. She even had her baby upstairs and was back behind the counter two days later!

Domino

there are 2 very large sheds, one actually in Atarfe the other a couple of km away right on the edge of Mercagranada which appears to be the border line. Both have closed down, the former was closed before I came out here end of last year the other followed shortly after, I remember going past on bus and thinking I must try to visit. Both are up for sale, with chinese writing on the signs. Presumably they bought the properties ??

the chino shop in our village opens normal village hours, closing at 2 reopening at 5.30 IIRC.