Emily77

hi there

can anyone help answer a tax related question - i received maternity benefit during 2011 while off work on maternity leave, as well as after returning to work and i have been told that i need to file a tax declaration before the 30th of June 2012. as i only now have a month before the deadline i would like to know if i really do have to file a return.

Rosemary

As Concierge for the Spanish section of BE I would like to say hello and welcome.

BE is a very large expat website, so if you have problems finding your way around we have concierges who will try to direct you. The moderators for the Spanish forums are Mitzyboy and Fred James, moderators are there to ensure that the site runs smoothly within the rules of BE. Problems and complaints should always be addressed to a moderador who will look into the matter and deal with it efficiently and fairly. Our members who post in the Spain Forums are friendly and helpful with a wealth of knowledge of the issues of living in Spain. At the top of the page you will find a quirkily named thread called Free Beer which is full of important and useful information. Hope you enjoy your time participating in the forums.

I do not know the true answer to your question but would have thought that it would be advisable because you could possibly receive a refund on the tax that you have paid.

Please let me know if you need any further help.

Rosemary

mikelincs

Yes, legally you have to file a tax return every year, even if you have not worked or have no income, it's a legal requirement, just like in the UK. An Assessoria or Gestor would be the best person to deal with this for you.

Fred James

No it is not a legal requirement to submit a tax declaration.

If you are working and paying PAYE then unless your income is over €22k you do not have to declare.

If you have no income at all then you don't have to declare.

There are other limits but as they are pretty complicated I won't go into them here.

Fred James

I assume you are working in Spain and the benefits were paid from Spanish social security. Is that so?

If you were working at all during 2011 was tax deducted from your wages?

Mikelincs suggestion of seeing a gestor is good - it can be quite complicated and if you have paid any tax then there might be a rebate due.

britishbull

if you were working for part of the year you probably only used part of your personal allowance so you may get a tax rebate