EsuriJohn

How did you do that Fred? I thought you had to own such a vehicle in your home country for six months before you could bring it as goods and chattels into Spain which if you then live here you cannot repeat the tax free import.

Fred James

It was a new car bought in Spain.

If you had bought it in the UK and imported it, there would still be no matriculation tax, irrespective of how long you owned it. Cars with less than 120g of CO2 pay no tax and that includes almost all small diesels and many of the new turbo petrol engines.

jackytoo

True. My neighbours son was in the Guardian Civil and he said they don't have the money and resources to hound UK car owners. Only if they are suspected of other offences will they act, otherwise they don't want to know.

I am not sure why some get so incensed by their compatriots driving UK cars whilst ignoring every other nationality. We had German and Norwegian friends who drove their own countries plated cars.

HBG

One of my wife's really close friends is a Spanish lady married to a Guardia of middle rank. Her husband and I are wary of each other for various reasons but get on well enough when it comes to what I like to do - help my fellow expat in their life in Spain. The main reason I am wary of him is because he sings all those Franco songs when he's pissed and his house is full of guns.

I love being able to help my fellow expats in some way and can't for the life of me understand when other expats want to do them down and even grass them up. Of course they shouldn't be working black, but all Spanish people do when they can and it doesn't make them bad people.

Live and let live? No?

andyrich666

swaying a little o/t but it seems they sing the same too, trying to get a IVA number here, all I got from the Spanish was you don't need it, just lie low, don't worry about it, FFS I do need it, then it was 'why do you need it' ?

One said to me, try and do all your transactions in cash and we only process the receipts, its crazy, really crazy - to me, preferred though.

Cman said once, when you look at where they waste the money as for me in UK too, its not suprising people will not declare, I think the grassing up peeps on the black is simply because maybe nationals are losing out on labour *myth* but also because of the change in the payments for Autonomo.

The problem is they don't make it easy, how it should work is if your here without Autonomo and get caught then the force should take you down and sort it all out for you, not for you to do it yourself, cos most wont, the same with the car, they should just take the car get it on Spanish plates and no charge as long term they will benefit, and the same if you have no NIE, they should march you down and force you to take it, you should not have to apply.

My business is horrible as its all virtually online (my choice) and its all accountable and easy to trace, sorry for veering o/t, cant want to be stopped by the GC next time as I will have it out about how long car can be here, seriously thinking of changing to a private plate !

jackytoo

I so agree with you. Seems some have a streak of meanness. Probably different expats to us long termers

HBG

Long termers is such an appropriate way to describe it. I don't want to take nothing away from recent arrivals, but have to agree that there must be some, blimey I'm struggling, some recognition, some satisfaction, just for having survived the course?

I opened a bank account with the new Nat West Bank in Estepona in the late eighties, I handed a brown envelope to Jesus Gil in the early nineties ( a low point in life), and, in case I stray too far from the topic, imported an S500 space ship which unfortunately I no longer have. It was the most beautiful car I have ever driven.

jimenato

You're an expat?

HBG

Sorry, Jim, but I think she was an expat for far longer than you will be.

jackytoo

That bank was something else, a really typical Andalucian building...magic we should have more threads about the old days!

HBG

If you walked back from Estepona port which was still being built, there was a Swedish (or Norwegian) nudist club right on the beach, I think it was called Seegers.

Spanish people stayed well clear, but I wandered in one day honestly not knowing. I still don't know how to describe it nearly 30 years later, I'm not a prude and kept my pants on, but most people hadn't and some were eating from a buffet.

It didn't half put me off.

Bri and Katee

Well back on topic.
We brought our car over in January and while I actively will push the law as far as is allowable, I don't often break it ie- empty country roads signposted 60kph for no apparent reason. I like the locals will drive at 100kph, until reaching built up areas.

But the car we brought over will be matriculated, this will be done just a few days before the 180 day rule kicks in. We are not resident here but need the car to get around (very rural) As we have a newer model in the UK it makes sense to matriculate our old one. As I said, use it to the extent that Spanish law allows then follow the rules, same with UK roadtax and insurance, we made sure both covered us for the period we will be using it here before conversion.

Chiclanagir

But that is the thing.............how many are insured? I know of one ex-pat drunk in charge ran in to another car not insured other car was a right off.

mikelincs

If this was a German or Norwegian forum, then I suspect you would see the same comments about their compatriots driving round in untaxed etc cars.

jackytoo

Not nice. However it is estimated that a third of Spanish drivers are uninsured too. Doesn't make any difference if it's a UK car or any other country.