NotYet

There are regular BA flights between Heathrow and Bilbao?

Ok there is a lot more land mass available in Spain, you can drive around between towns without losing half a day like in the UK, you can visit beaches on a hot day without the hassle that goes with it in the UK. That's more what I was getting at.

NotYet

I work near Paddington which as you may or may not know is directly connected to Heathrow, which is the main appeal of it.

I'm thinking of trialling it for 6-8 weeks and using AirBnB to perhaps book the same place for the duration and seeing how I get on? The hassle and costs of the airports twice a week might very quickly change my mind?!

cricketman

I was not aware of that. The Bilbao flights I saw where to Stansted and only 3 times per week!

Yes that is true. It is very easy to drive around Spain and explore, although the distances are large

The Basque country is great, although it rains a lot and you have the dual language issue to deal with. It is also a lot more expensive than the South. You also need to think about what lifestyle you want. Basque is mainly spoken in the villages although you can get away with Spanish in the cities

Also, flights to Heathrow will usually be BA/Iberia with an average price of around EUR300 return. So a weekly flight would be a massive chunk out of your salary

Fred James

Yes, if you live in Spain you will have to pay tax in Spain even if the UK are taxing you on the same income. You can deduct the UK tax paid from the Spanish tax, but as tax rates in Spain are higher than the UK and allowances are lower, you will end up with a significant Spanish tax bill.

battlezone123

You can fly via La Coruna (on the north coast) with Vueling to Heathrow - one flight daily. I am not sure but I think Ryan Air fly to Stanstead from Santiago de Compostela.

bob_bob

If I've read the OP right, the chap will just be a 'weekender' in Spain so no need to register et al?

He'd be better off in Southern Spain where there are numerous cheap flights from Alicante to London IMHO.

My son (and three chums) rented a townhouse in Benalmádena two years ago and fly out for weekends... they are just tourists.

teejaydee

A summary of the tax residency rules is as follows:

1. You spend more than 183 days in Spain during one calendar year.
   
2. You arrive in Spain with an intention to reside there indefinitely.
   
3. If your “centre of vital interests” is Spain.
   
4. You are presumed to be a Spanish resident if your spouse lives in Spain.

When the OP is staying in the UK, he would be living in guest houses, airbnb etc. His residence in Spain would be his sole residence and he would therefore be deemed a resident under rule 2.

I presume they have permanent accommodation in the UK. They spend less than 183 days in Spain and therefore none of the Spanish tax residency rules apply.

Fred James

That really depends on how long the long weekends were. The chances of getting "caught" are very very slim, but trying to keep the right side of 183 days would make sense.

bobd22

Re this rule 2 you mention? How does anyone actually know that ? Peoples circumstances & plans change like the weather! From what the OP says they will be short term regular visitors neither owning property in either Spain or the UK. They must be tax resident somewhere however and as their centre of financial interests would be UK as that is where they earn their income and live most of the time, then UK tax residency seems appropriate. Of course they need to ensure they don't breach 183 days in Spain, which should be easily manageable given what has been outlined even with a couple of longer breaks.
Even rule 4 re a spouse being a Spanish Resident can be got around if you can prove the non resident one has a permanent UK home and pays UK taxes which would not be difficult to do.

harm12

I am also in the same situation - work for a UK company planning to live in spain (but have no work in spain for now).

My research so far :

Getting paid in UK is fine, but one needs to file taxes in spain as you are resident there for more than 183 days(not a big issue).

But, you will need to pay NI contributions in spain - both by yourself and by your employer - or you have to setup yourself as self employed(autonomo) and bill as consultant to your UK employer.

Not paying NI in spain means no free healthcare/pensions (NHS scrapped dual agreement recently), so you need private medical insurance for spanish residency card (after 3 months).

If you are willing to Pay NI in spain by setting yourself up an autonomo - I still can't see a simple way to ensure you employer is not breaking the law by not registering themselves in spain
- Also don'tthink many employers would be keen to change your from employee as consultant either - due to 2 year limit rule for consultants in UK.

(Healthcare, pensions, etc are issues that need consideration too as all those UK years built up for statutory pension go out of the window if you stop paying in UK, but paying in both places, doing taxes in both places, etc all adds up pretty quickly)


So, how does one continue to work and get a salary in UK - but set themselves up to live in spain without running foul of spanish rules for both yourself and your employer?

bobd22

I think that your situation differs greatly from what the OP proposes in that if I read your post correctly, you will be living permanently in Spain but earning your income in the UK. Of course that would make you a Spanish Resident physical and Fiscal'y and you would need to comply with the Spanish tax authorities etc. The OP from what they seem to propose would not be either physically or Fiscal'y resident in Spain from how I read it and would simply be a regular visitor.
I couldn't offer any advice on your issue I am sure some can maybe Fred could help however I would myself if I were you seek professional advice.

harm12

Thanks...I have now raised this as a separate thread...I may have to take legal professional advice eventually.

Fredbargate

Some years ago I was a frontier worker. Commuting on a daily basis.
I paid Social Security in the country I worked in, they supplied Spain with the relevant documents E111 / S1 every two years which covered my healthcare.