Offered a job near Barcelona
 

Hello, I'm 25 years old, I've been offered work as a self imployed electrician near Barcelona for the next 2 years, im unsure about how the tax system works, would I need to make pay tax as I earn? Also wondering if it's easy enough for my girlfriend to come and live with me but not work for a period of time, can you basically live there Hassel free? Thankyou very much :thumbup:

Re: Offered a job near Barcelona
 

Hi and a warm welcome to the Spanish forum on BE. Myself and Fred James are the moderators for the Spanish forums whilst BEVS moderates Europe. Moderators are there to ensure that the site runs smoothly within the rules of BE. This is so that members gain the information that they are looking for and find their experiences on the forums to be friendly and worthwhile.

Problems and complaints should always be addressed to a moderator who will look into the matter and deal with it efficiently and fairly. Our members who post in the Spain Forums are usually friendly and helpful with a wealth of knowledge about the issues of living in Spain. I hope that you enjoy your time participating in the forums.

Please let me know if you need any further help.

Rosemary

Re: Offered a job near Barcelona
 

If you're self employed you will complete a tax return and pay for tax some time after you actually earn it. It's the same as in the UK. Is that where you are now? I ask because the nationality of you and your girlfriend are a factor in how easily you can access Spain and live there hassle free.

Re: Offered a job near Barcelona
 

You will need to pay a minimum of (around) 260 euros social security each month and then pay 20% of your income as tax on a quarterly basis

You will have to abide by IVA and income tax withholdal rules on invoices, which you will need to see a gestor about

At the end of the year everything is tallied up to see whether you owe more tax or are due some back

Legally you are not allowed to work as self-employed for just the one client unless you sign a TRADE contract - which is another reason to see a gestor or employment lawyer

Re: Offered a job near Barcelona
 

Do you have a Spanish qualification as an electrician?, Spanish systems are totally different to UK ones, and in order for the work to be legal is all has to be signed off by a Spanish qualified electrician.

Re: Offered a job near Barcelona
 

Yes me and my girlfriend live in the uk, so it would be straight forward for us to go, would my girlfriend have no problem staying there without working? Thankyou

Re: Offered a job near Barcelona
 

No I have no Spanish qualification just British, I think I would be working for a British company but I see where your coming from with it having to be signed of by a Spanish electrician, thankyou

Re: Offered a job near Barcelona
 

The people I have spoke to seem to think there going to work tax free but obviously they must be thinking of some kind of way round it, I would rather just sort my own tax out so I'm covered for when I want to come back to the uk. Being self employed abroad does sound like a lot of hassle, Thankyou for your help

Re: Offered a job near Barcelona
 

Yes, but she would need her own healthcare as your cover as autonomo will only cover family.

Re: Offered a job near Barcelona
 

I would be very careful about any job offers that are for being self employed as thats really a con as you will have to pay for being self employed 260€ a month at least, your own tax and health care. There is no safeguard to your job so you have no security.
Find out why you cannot be offered a job as an employee and then you will realise that you are being taken advantage of. Sadly its not as good as it sounds. Be careful.

Re: Offered a job near Barcelona
 

+1. There are many unemployed in spain. ask why does this company wish to employ you?

It may be a great opportunity, but tread carefully :nod:

Re: Offered a job near Barcelona
 

and a lot of those will be fully qualfied Spanish electricians, the job really isn't as good as it seems.

Re: Offered a job near Barcelona
 

And especially near Barcelona where speaking Spanish and Catalan would be essential

I have no idea how you will be able to do anything speaking English

Re: Offered a job near Barcelona
 

I would be worried with the self employed thing, but otherwise Spanish or Catalan wouldn't always be essential, especially on building sites if a company employs you.

Re: Offered a job near Barcelona
 

Do builders not need to communicate? Or is grunting and pointing enough? :lol:

Re: Offered a job near Barcelona
 

... the sharp sucking in of breath through tightly clenched teeth, when you ask for a quote seems to be universal in any language.:amen:

Re: Offered a job near Barcelona
 

They would communicate, but if the site manager speaks several languages there would be no issues employing people from different countries. You even find plenty of buildings in London that weren't built by British. Have a German friend who works in the UK for a German company and he hardly spoke English when he started the first project.

Re: Offered a job near Barcelona
 

Does anyone know if you there is a way to work tax free over there, people are saying if your working for a British company and gettin paid into a British bank you won't have to pay tax, I personally can't see this being true? Thankyou

Re: Offered a job near Barcelona
 

That is definately illegal.

Re: Offered a job near Barcelona
 

If you are physically in Spain while you are working then you have to pay income tax in Spain

Re: Offered a job near Barcelona
 

Leekard,

I've spent time working in other countries in the EU whilst paying tax only in the UK - as you said, working for a company registered in Britain and getting paid into a bank account in Britain. But, I often returned to the UK at weekends, although not every weekend. At no time did I spend enough time in another country to be considered resident there. Under those circumstances it is possible to work in the EU whilst all tax stays in the UK.

The key factor for you is where you will be living. If you exceed 6 months in Spain in a year then they will consider you resident for tax purposes and will want details of everything you earned.

Re: Offered a job near Barcelona
 

Of course if one is employed in one EU country and works temporarily / for short periods of time in another, as I too have often done, one declares and pays tax in the home country.

I feel sure that is not what OP meant?

Re: Offered a job near Barcelona
 

Yeah I understand you, so it's a load of bollocks when there saying there going to be working tax free because your always gonna have to pay tax somewhere on your earning, either in uk or spain. If they pay no tax at all it will eventually catch up with them won't it?

Re: Offered a job near Barcelona
 

No, but it was probably what his sources were talking about and I thought I would say under what circumstances you can do that.

Just doing my bit to help.

Re: Offered a job near Barcelona
 

I worked for several years without paying tax, but that was in Dubai. Get yourself to the Middle East if tax brings you out in a rash :-)

In Europe, there are no tax free areas, so yes, bollocks is a good description of what they are saying.

Re: Offered a job near Barcelona
 

If you're paid in a UK bank account, set up properly as a cross border worker, and the project lasts for less than 180 days it's all good.

EU - Cross-border commuters - Your Europe

After 180 days it starts to get more complicated.

Edit: Then I read the self-employed part. Cross-border working may still apply for the self employed or you may have to deal with the Spanish system right from the start. Hopefully you won't have to.

And ask them why you have to be self employed, which sounds a little dodgy. If they insist that there's no tax to pay then they're just going to pay you cash in hand.

Re: Offered a job near Barcelona
 

I've spoke to a couple of the lads that are going, ones saying he's gonna be classes as a sole trader and says he's not going to pay any tax somehow, the other said he's setting up as a limited business then after a year when the tax comes he's gonna fold the business and set up a new business and do the same again, I guess this is illegal but he could get a away with it I guess?

Re: Offered a job near Barcelona
 

They are both lying or deluded

It costs thousands of euros to set up a limited company in Spain

And if they are setting them up in the UK then it is pointless anyway

I have to say that I met a few British people who had companies in the Costa Del Sol who did not declare a euro to the Spanish authorities. They said that their company was British so they paid their taxes in the UK

This is 100% wrong and illegal

If you want to do the same then it is up to you. You can choose to hide from the tax authorities, but if you get caught then you must face the consequences

Re: Offered a job near Barcelona
 

Whilst agreeing wholeheartedly with some very learned and experienced members re this particular tax dodging situ I oft wonder, if in more simple cases does the Spanish taxman really charge around Europe after minor defaulters

I posted before ( though cannot remember if it was this forum) of two Irish people I know of who did not pay tax during their 3 year rental in Spain. Taxes would have been due I believe on their savings in Ireland .

In such circumstances I doubt that there will be a Europewide search for their missing tax payments nor extradition sought to bring them back

Totally wrong as it means others are in effect paying tax fraudsters share

Re: Offered a job near Barcelona
 

I have no idea how an electrician is meant to be liable for the quality of work he undertakes if he is not even working legally in the country he is plying his trade

Sounds incredibly dodgy

Re: Offered a job near Barcelona
 

True Cricketman dodgy and maybe even dangerous

Re: Offered a job near Barcelona
 

I think if I do go I'd be better not gettin involved with what there doin and just payin my own tax and keeping everything completely legal, it not worth taking the risk is it