Well ...... we started thinking about it in about 2002 after I met someone who was just leaving to set up here. We bought a place as a holiday home in 2004, although I cant remember exactly which month. We only actually decided to come and live here in early 2006 and made it by the end of 2006. So all taken into consideration, 4 years of thought and preparation

Cricketman ... you just know that the financial community here think its sound commercial advice to not declare all you earn. In some ways its the same in the UK, but a little more subtle

oh right, sorry i forgot i knew nothing and you knew everything, silly me

I apologise profusely, on my hands and knees, for giving information that you say is incorrect.

I shall now go and jump of a cliff at my utter incompetence.

God save the queen!!!!

What utter b********

Someone like you makes me realise why i dont come on this forum anymore.

oh i wish i had a perfect life like you!

sod it, i'm off, not gonna argue with you, i have better things to be getting on with

bye

Its just one person
The good outweigh the bad dont they?

A bit like real life?

I'm not saying you are lying, just that I dont agree with you

Why should everyone have to agree with you? A lot of the other advice you gave was very good. I almost gave you karma for it!

Got your kecks on back to front there Cman.
If a Spaniard was told to declare everything he would laugh in the gestors face. As for reporting one, you are a lunatic to even suggest that.

Until hacienda play straight and all business expenses are deductable etc etc and the govt stop treating autonomos as criminals businesss people will continue to stash the cash.

Um, my OH is Spanish and has her own business here

And my SIL is a Spanish accountant. They dont agree with a word you lot say on here. In fact they say it proves that the Brits who come to Spain are petty criminals!

Probably best to take advice from professional advisors on this type of thing, rather than anonymous posters (even if they claim to be well-informed). One body you don't want to annoy in any country is the tax people - they often know more than you realise, and I wouldn't discount the possibility they monitor talkboards in search of "easy pickings".

A wise old Spanish business man told me that a good accountant, should be able to tell you haow much to declare each month to the taxman.

He can assess the amount to cover expenses, give a wage to the owner and be believable, and keep the taxman happy.

Anything over and above that amount should be wisely invested in fine wine, dining and women.

I think of you compare the average UK accountant with his counterpart in Spain, you couldn't put a cigarette paper between them. It's difficult to compare UK and Spanish mayors because the system in the UK is different, but on the criminality scale, the Spanish ones are the clear winners.

Having said that, I've just thought of the MPs expenses. I think an overall draw would be appropriate.

you may be right about it being a draw, the MPs expenses and the corrupt mayors.

although I still think that Spain is in the lead in the fiddling stakes, as there are a lot more mayors in Spain, than MPS in the UK.
A numbers game.

Not just MP expenses, what with cash for questions, trips to foreign lands, free holidays, buy a peerage, donations from dodgy tax exiles, bungs to councilors for planning approvals etc. the UK is as corrupt as many bannana republics.

Absolutley , most of my Spanish friends are autonomo and could not survive without dinero negro.

Cmans talking out of his a*s as usual.

Maybe it is the different types of people we know

The people I know in Spain have a degree, are qualified and a professional and pay their taxes

Everyone who know in Spain is uneducated and cheat on their taxes

Go figure!

Frankly, we should care????

I for one have done pretty much everything legally since I got here and I'm not to happy with this generalisation

I have been in business for a long long time, and I learned long ago that you take advice from professionals as to how to negotiate around taxes .... that doesnt mean it's illegal, it means it's smart!