Spain Explained

Last updated on May 9th, 2020 at 04:06 pm. A draft Spanish tax reform law was approved on the 20th June. The new reforms were proposed by the finance minister Cristobal Montoro at a meeting of the Council of Ministers and are intended to be introduced by January 2015. In this article we will go […]

Last updated on October 28th, 2019 at 04:26 pm. You’ve found the house in Spain you’ve always wanted and now it’s all systems go. But you’re not buying a property in your own country and all the usual routines that you’ve probably been through before are absent.  So what can you expect? The NIE If […]

Last updated on October 28th, 2019 at 04:26 pm. It’s a good time to buy and we are seeing many people who perhaps thought a house in Spain was out of their price range, suddenly realising that they can buy one after all. Once you’ve got the idea, then the next step is working out […]

Last updated on September 13th, 2019 at 09:10 am. Keeping safe in the water is a particularly important issue around this time of year. Last July and August 155 people drowned in Spain. Of course, there are a number of self evident measures you can take that could be considered common sense. Making sure children […]

Last updated on October 28th, 2019 at 05:04 pm. The debate over whether prostitution and soft drug use in Spain should be legalised has continued for centuries. Who would have thought it would be the taxman who would start to get involved. It is now being suggested by the Organisation of Tax Inspectorsthat the debate […]

Last updated on October 28th, 2019 at 05:03 pm. Whether new traffic laws in Spain are designed to make the roads safer or increase revenue for the traffic department, will always be debated. Whatever your conclusion the new raft of legislation aimed at road users is going to keep trafico busy for the foreseeable future. […]

Last updated on September 13th, 2019 at 09:10 am. When we first came to Spain, many years ago, it seemed to us that there was a kind of reckless disregard for ‘safety’ on the roads. Drinking and driving was not uncommon. Manoeuvres seemed to be made without warning and oblivious to other road users. And […]

Last updated on October 28th, 2019 at 04:27 pm. Now is the time to buy in Spain. There are many properties to choose from offering every facility imaginable. Rustic or town, apartment or villa, spacious or compact – the choice is yours. You might have seen your ideal property on an inspection trip in Spain […]

Last updated on October 28th, 2019 at 04:27 pm. Spain, remains a popular destination for those aspiring to buy a property abroad. For those living in Europe, Spain is easily accessible and the weather is predictable. It’s a large country and there is no shortage of variation in landscape and leisure activities. The climate and […]

Last updated on September 13th, 2019 at 09:10 am. In many countries recycling your waste has become something of an art form. Certainly in the UK, in some counties, there seems to be a different container for every different type of waste – newspaper and cardboard, bottles and tins, waste food and garden waste. The […]

Last updated on March 19th, 2020 at 03:12 pm. It can be difficult to plan ahead when it comes to wills in Spain and Spanish inheritance. It’s a subject we tend to avoid. However, not making the necessary arrangements and talking them through with those people who it will affect, can have repercussions for those […]

Last updated on March 31st, 2020 at 10:31 am. It can be difficult to know what you should and shouldn’t be doing when it comes to driving in Spain. New laws are adding further to the confusion. Ley 6/2014 modificando la Ley sobre Tráfico, Circulación de Vehículos a Motor y Seguridad Vial 339/ 1990  came […]

Last updated on September 13th, 2019 at 09:10 am. Last week, I was driving in inland Murcia virtually alone despite it being the middle of the day and marvelling at what a joy driving in Spain is compared to the crowded roads in the UK. Despite covering close to 1000 km per week on business, […]

Last updated on September 13th, 2019 at 09:10 am. There seem to be mixed messages surrounding just how many of the British have left Spain and when. The number declared as being registered on the padrón in the Alicante province is down by 90,000 compared to 2012.   Most expats in Spain know of at […]

Last updated on March 19th, 2020 at 10:51 am. You perhaps have in mind exactly what you would like your ideal property in Spain to look like, where it should be situated and the dimensions and specifications it should include. Trouble is, one doesn’t seem to have been built yet. The solution? Build one of […]

Last updated on October 28th, 2019 at 04:28 pm. The valor catastral is the rateable value of a property in Spain and is used to caculate property taxes. In some cases if there is no valor catastral, the purchase price of the property is used for the calculation. However, in our experience, this usually results […]

Last updated on September 13th, 2019 at 09:10 am. 1. Would you like to live here? Casa Batlló With hardly a straight line in sight, Casa Batlló, designed by Anton Gaudí, is a very famous example of what happens when you let your imagination as well as architectural brilliance run away with you. Whether you […]

Last updated on September 13th, 2019 at 09:10 am. Taking estate agents to task over the EPC There has been a lot of confusion around the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) and what exactly is expected from house sellers and estate agents. Numerous warnings were given about how the Spanish government was going to ensure that […]

Last updated on September 13th, 2019 at 09:10 am. Smoking in public continues to be a hot topic in most European countries. It seems governments are finding it difficult to work out how far to go/ not to go when it comes to the whole smoking issue. Matters have perhaps been complicated by the increasing […]

Last updated on September 13th, 2019 at 09:10 am. If you see someone drunk and disorderly in Spain, it is likely they’re not Spanish. No doubt reading this there are many examples you can think of to the contrary. However, in my experience, problems with alcohol are much more likely to be enacted by visitors […]

Last updated on September 13th, 2019 at 09:10 am. It’s almost a national institution. The chiringuito, or Spanish beach bar, can really make your holiday that extra bit special. Equipped with young, energetic individuals, music into the night and the cocktails and spirits to match, they are a key feature of most beaches in Spain. […]

Last updated on October 28th, 2019 at 05:04 pm. The laws in Spain around extensions, refurbishment and home improvements are strict. All changes you might make to your home need approval from the town hall. Home improvements in Spain fall into two categories: Major works e.g. building an extension, conservatory or swimming pool Minor work […]

Last updated on February 28th, 2020 at 11:36 am. As in other countries, you can expect to be fined in Spain for a number of infractions of the traffic code. Speeding, parking where you shouldn’t, not having the right paper work in the car, all carry traffic fines in Spain – some substantial. An unusual […]

Last updated on September 13th, 2019 at 09:10 am. During March we welcomed people into our offices to answer their questions about tax and legal matters. However, we know that not everyone can make it to Torrevieja or Alicante. That’s why we’ve been running our ‘Tax, tea and travel’ roadshow. We started off by visiting […]

Last updated on September 13th, 2019 at 09:10 am. It remains a strange feature of the expat phenomenon that many of the expats who live in Spain know more about what is happening in the country they’ve left behind than the one they live in. Expat radio shows, access to the home country’s TV stations […]