Charellen

Hi does anyone run a market stall here in Spain?
What did it cost to set up please in the way of licence fees etc.
How much are the social security payments etc
Any information you can give would be very welcome .
We live near Alcoy.

mikelincs

Are you talking about regular street markets, or Sunday markets and car boot sales?

Charellen

The local markets , the village markets, Benidorm, Alcoy, Muro de Alcoy,
Are there any car boots that will allow new goods .

TheLostPhotographer

I don't have a market stall here in Spain.

However, I can tell you as much as you need to know.

There are many 'unofficial' market sites that are tolerated by the authorities to a certain extent. If you are considering going by the letter then you need to register as self-employed with all that entails (€256 minimum per month regardless of income). Forget it, unless you are serious and have the capital to do it properly.

New goods bring the attention of those paying taxes and rates to sell new goods. Most markets will not give you space. Generally, the markets that are allowed to happen are for arts and crafts. But, almost always second hand and other none arts and crafts stuff appears. Expect to pay about €1/Sq Meter for a day that will end at around 2PM if the police don't come and close the whole site down earlier.

It varies from town to town and province to province. It also changes week to week.

Established markets are a very different concern. Often there is a waiting list and you need to be a local resident to get a pitch. Not expensive, but not cheap.

Never mess with the touring 'Medeval Market' people from the East of Europe! They are hardcore serious about every penny. Seriously!

Basically, you just have to ask around and follow the flow. Ibiza has a very vibrant market culture. There aren't really any rules beyond your own.

Don't push the selling of new goods competing with those who pay for the right to sell them, and you should be OK.

shazzabob

what about car boot sales they got the same rules if you dont mind me asking is there licences for those or they like ours in uk

Maybe1day

I believe that the flea markets around Malaga province charge from 6 to 15 euros per pitch per day 09-14. there is a flea market somewhere every day. Last year some people selling new products at the Benalmadena flea market received fines of over 3000 Euros and a ban for doing just this. In recent times there are many empty pitches at the T/B flea markets. There are also the normal outdoor markets, prices are about the same but there is a waiting list for a pitch, locally (Torremolinos / Benalmadena, it is at least a year.
For Alcoi, as for anywhere else go to the market, there is nothing better than to ask the stall holders, they are usually very happy to relate all the woes that beset them.

Charellen

Many Thanks everyone .
I am going to go to the local town hall to get all the paperwork rolling.
Hopefully shouldn't be to traumatic . But wont hold my breath.
Spoke to the mayor in our village he says I just need to pay on the day but must have a licence .
Just another question does anyone know where I can buy a market stall frame, covers etc .

mikelincs

In many places you really need to know someone in the town hall, many of the licenses go to friends and relativrs of the mayor and councillors.

la mancha

Hello Charellen

Someone asked this question some time ago and I will tell you what I told them of my experience a very long time ago.

About 20 years ago when Spain had just joined the EU, I applied for a market stall in Denia. I was told I had to have a licence and start paying social security payments and then my name could go onto a waiting list for a stall. Me, being just off the boat back then, went to a gestoria and started the whole bandwagon rolling; social security, licence, and some other bits and pieces because nothing is quite straightforward in Spain, and when I had all of my paperwork in order, all rubber stamped showing me where all the money had gone and would be going every month, I went back to the town hall in Denia – a nest of vipers – and showed them everything, and the woman at the desk nodded and confirmed everything was in order, and I asked her to put my name on the list for a stall. She said she would do this. I asked her how long the waiting list was? She told me one to two years. And I had to keep my paperwork up to date for the whole time. Lesson learned.

Never take a mayor’s word for anything because on the day it is the local police who will check you out and the mayor will be nowhere to be seen. All this was 20 years ago and things may have changed, but the same mentality still prevails.

I managed to get a pitch, on showing paperwork, in small markets such as Ondara and Gata, and also Pego, but the numbers,public, weren't there and the large markets were denied me because of the wait. The market traders were friendly enough, but be warned; the local police, and sometimes the Guardia if they have nothing else to do, will take a stroll around the market and can ask you for receipts for your goods. If you don’t have them you are in trouble. Same if you have a relative or friend helping out. They can check to see if they, or you, are paying their social security. It’s a hard life doing business in Spain.

Before I left Spain to get my head back in order, I remember in Albacete, to raise funds and try to cut unemployment, they decided to increase the number of pitches in the market. This provoked an influx of new traders, and the original traders were left in despair as one of them told me that now everyone is selling the same goods and no one is earning.

Taking into account travelling expenses, unless you have something that is completely different and cheap I would think very carefully about a market stall. Please do not listen to the mayor. Ask the market traders first and take a good look round the markets. See for yourself if people are buying.

angiescarr

Please think very carefully before setting up as an Autonomo in Spain. Speaking as one who has and built up large Seguridad Social debts. You need to be absolutely sure that the money will keep rolling in month by month Think of it this way. Just to pay your Autonomo you need 3,000 a year. More if you're ever late paying. By the time a bill gets a couple of months late you have to pay 350 euros A MONTH. That's over a thousand a trimestre. ALSO if you're late they can grab money out of your bank account effectively crushing your cashflow. Then there's IVA at 21% (before you pay your Autonomo...not after) Any reclaim on the IVA HAS to be proved so not one invoice can be missed. Your vehicle cannot be classed as a turismo or you'll lose out on 50% of your claim for business use EVEN IF you only use it for business. Then there's the tax you pay on all your income. The personal allowance is not counted until the end of the financial year and can take up to a year more to pay back if you're on a very low income. I'm still waiting for last years and they don't care if they're late....You can't 'grab' their money or add swingeing extra charges for latenness!

I believe there is another level of Autonomo lower than the one I was on where you don't have to charge IVA, But I can't seem to find out what this is...for me it's too late anyway and I don't think it would have applied as I sold abroad and did a little wholesaling. my business couldn't have been just Spain wide.

OK You might get lucky and have a business that can handle all this or funds behind you in case of bad months. If you have. Good luck and go for it. But do your sums based on all the worst case scenarios. Ask me I've had them all

Maybe1day

I think that there are some big differences between different areas, We had a pizzeria for a few years, but we only ever paid the 3 monthly tax on the rent and income tax in June of the following year. We had a few fines for late payment of the tax on the rent and once for a misunderstanding on the contributions the first month. We also got the excess VAT back for 2 years running. We had problems at the beginning because of the accountants taking the money and doing nothing. I understand that for new companies there is a cheap rate of contributions of 50E pm, The age limit has been abolished.
My advice would be to let well alone unless you have a product that is different enough to secure your income, and then it must also be protected....
You may be better off looking into growing some crop, the EU rules permit a livelyhood on a very small parcel of land, bless their cotton socks. A friend of mine made a decent living in Italy some years ago with less than 50 Olive trees.

Rotor

Want to sell stuff in Spain ?, e commerce is your only realistic chance unless you have huge capital,no need for planning permission , rent etc , keep your cash that all the parasites try to steal from you , base it in the UK or Gib and only pay minimal NI and tax until you start earning real money.

la mancha

Exactly. That is what I'm working on now.

shazzabob

is fle markets different to car boots or do they class them he same in spain

angiescarr

If you're selling out of the country it gets complicated (it seems) You'll need a really skilled gestor. English speaking if possible at least at first, to tell you your options. There are no English speaking Gestors here that's why I'm still confused!
Also, If you are doing a lot of posting make sure you speak really soon with a rep from Correos because the normal postal prices are really high over 100 grams but you can get them reduced significantly. My husband has just been given the prices for book posting and they are less than half price.