Does anybody on the forum have any advice on home exchanges?

I am looking for a way to be able to spend 6 months a year in the UK and six months in Spain. I own a property in Spain but not in the UK.
I am interested in exchanging my Spanish property for one in the UK for 6 months and have been in touch with a few interested parties.
Not sure of the implications of doing this though, obviously if I am exchanging like for like no money will be changing hands, but are there any tax implications?
Also as water and electricity will be being used so it would seem by an authorities looking at the bills that I am in Spain for the full twelve months, any ideas of how I could get over this?
Or can anybody think of anything else that is detrimental to me doing this ?
Any information is gratefully received

Hi and welcome to BE, I think your idea sound good, and especially now in with the 720 asset declaration that is worrying so many expats.

I am sure that there are loads of people in the UK who would love some sunshine, and that there are a large number of people who might benefit fiscally by being absent from Spain for a little over half a year.

People who are due to get a windfall or an inheritance, or who are thinking of selling a property the UK and who are looking for a way not to pay the tax to hacienda, could become non residents for the year when tax would be due if they remained resident.

In fact I think that there maybe a business opportunity, where by the sun seeking Brits in the UK could be matched with British residents in Spain who need to be "away" for a while, but have no base in the UK.

Some people do it there are several sites where one can arrange house exchanges. The obvious risk is people will not take care of your property. We have found family and friends who expect free board and lodgings will leave aircon on 24/7 with windows open, glasses by the pool, never clean and a host of little annoying things.

The people who we are thinking of exchanging with are a retired couple that we know, so we don't have any worries about the misuse of our house. But we have had a couple of other offers from people we don't know.

The main aim is ideally to be out of Spain for six months a year, but if the Hacienda are checking on use of water and electricity to check who is here for over six months, by somebody else residing in our house the utilities will confirm this and the authorities will either presume its us in the house or we are renting it.

If we can prove we are exchanging the house not sure if this type of " bartering " is acceptable as for as tax implications are concerned..

Even if you aren't renting it, you will be taxed with a non-residents tax on your house, this assumes you are geting rental income from it, and it's not something you can avoid.

We have paid the non residents tax for a number of years, but not sure if there would be any extra tax due because of the home exchange even though no money is changing hands, I have a suspicion that there could be but can't seem to find out the answer.
Also can't think of a way that I can get over the use of water and electricity to prove that I am not here, unless of course the threats of checking up on the utilities is just scaremongering.. Does anybody know anybody thats been checked up on in this way?

Non resident tax?.. Tell me more?

Tax on your property if you are not a resident. just do a forum search, plenty of threads about it.

Surely you could prove you were not there by receipts etc also person using house when you are not there could also evidence the fact? You would as has been said still have to pay non residence tax depndant on valor catastoral of your property, mine is 60 euro per year. So if you were doing as you say you could justify use of services as others using house neither you nor they need to be tax resident if under 183 days. Only problem I can think is the new rules re letting licence etc as although not letting would it fall in the remit of this law?

But I do suspect they would assume an income, and you would have to do some sort of declaration to avoid therm taxing you on what they would assume was incoome generated. I supect a chat to a gestor would be a first step, because as the house would be occupied all the time, they might well assume you should be registered as a resident.

They can´t assume that you are resident if you are not here for 183 days.
Even if the house is occupied, if that is the case the UK can say you are resident if your house there is occupied all year round by an adult child or other relative. Which does not happen, so why should it be any different for a Spanish property

If you are not in Spain, then it cannot be assumed that you are, that is why there is a 183 day rule.

You are under the 183 days or not.

plus as we are an iland you need to show passport either on way in or out,
so it should be easy to proof you been in the uk, rest of europe is a bit more tricky

As a non resident, even if you are never there you are liable for property tax.

I find people I know are less respectful of our things than strangers. Maybe I just have shitty friends <LOL>

You only show your passport, it's never stamped, so there is no proof, you need to keep all ticket stubs etc, something tangible to prove you went back to the UK, nipping over to France isn't an option as you can't show proof you have been out of the country, even a petrol receipt won't suffice as that doesn't prove YOU have been out of the country.

Instead of trying to prove that you have been OUT of Spain, look at it a different way and prove that you have been IN another country.

Take digital photos of your local bar or other landmarks, take a photo of yourself infront of a French bakery, dates will appear on the photos, keep receipts paid for with debit or credit cards.

It is a lot easier to prove a positlve than a negative, and if you are not in Spain for more than the allocated days, then there is no issue.

It is just a question of getting smart.