Spain Explained

Last updated on October 28th, 2019 at 05:07 pm. Letting property in Spain can be a safe option.  However, our lawyers at Ábaco are well aware of the issues to do with paper work and legal regulations that can appear so obstructive to the course of justice. Systems in any country can be slow to […]

Last updated on September 13th, 2019 at 09:10 am. I remember learning at school about the window tax of the 17th and 18th century. A property tax based on the number of windows in the house, it led to people taking all kinds of measures in order to avoid it. Now in the 21st century […]

Last updated on October 28th, 2019 at 05:08 pm. The economic crisis in Spain has caused hardship for many people. There has been recent press coverage of the difficulties that mortgage holders and tenants in Spain have found themselves in when they have suffered a drop in income. It’s not just tenants who have found […]

Last updated on September 13th, 2019 at 09:10 am. In another blog I have written about the sport of pelota/ pilota – a ball game traditionally linked to Spain. Not unlike pelota, Spanish padel tennis has strong associations with Spanish-speaking countries. However,  it is not as old a sport and was developed in the late […]

Last updated on October 28th, 2019 at 05:08 pm. In the majority of cases, landlords and tenants in Spain get on well. They make mutually agreeable arrangements and both benefit from the business relationship. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work this way. Not all tenants in Spain are prompt with their rent and some landlords of […]

Last updated on October 28th, 2019 at 04:34 pm. Everyone wants to keep their costs down when buying property in Spain. It’s understandable that prospective Spanish property owners want to ensure that the buying process takes as little from their hard-earned savings as possible. However, it’s a fine line between cutting your costs and risking […]

Last updated on October 28th, 2019 at 05:08 pm. Letting out Spanish property is perhaps more popular now than it ever has been before. Difficulties in selling property and uncertainty about the property market have led people to consider other options – letting out Spanish property being at the top of the list. It means […]

Last updated on September 13th, 2019 at 09:10 am. Most Spanish sports and recreational activities are not much different from what you would find anywhere in the world. The Spanish love of football needs no coverage and Spaniards continue to excel in many sports such as tennis, golf and motor racing. However, there are one […]

Last updated on October 28th, 2019 at 04:34 pm. Sometimes reading the press you get the impression that everyone has stopped buying houses in Spain. It’s not true. Foreign buyers have actually increased in relation to the number of Spanish buyers. Overall numbers have dropped but there are plenty of people who still want to […]

Last updated on April 23rd, 2020 at 12:09 pm. If you have been frustrated by the intransigence of the European quarantine laws when organising pet travel to Spain, then you might be delighted to hear that there are plans for the laws to be relaxed. New EU legislation has been proposed that will apply to […]

Last updated on March 27th, 2020 at 06:53 pm. If you are not eligible to retire yet but are keen to live in Spain then unless you’ve won the lottery you are going to have to work here. Before you start handing in your notice in your home country, however, it is important to be […]

Last updated on March 19th, 2020 at 03:15 pm. One of the questions that’s most frequently asked in our offices is – how much Spanish inheritance tax will I have to pay? We receive enquiries every week from the recently bereaved who are not only coming to terms with the death of a close relative […]

Last updated on September 13th, 2019 at 09:10 am. As you would expect, a Spanish market is noisy and colourful with its fair share of ‘characters’. People watching is a good pastime at a market in Spain. Find yourself a spot at one of the little bars or side cafes and observe the hustle and […]

Last updated on October 28th, 2019 at 04:34 pm. In the current environment it is pleasing to see some rather more positive statistics emerging for Spanish property owners. The current sales figures for Spanish property reported in The Land Registry* (el registro de propriedades) are promising and suggest a healthy interest from foreigners in buying […]

Last updated on October 28th, 2019 at 04:35 pm. Owning your own company or business is what many people aspire to. The additional responsibilities and bureaucratic requirements are balanced by the freedom and self-governance that being your own boss can bring. There are some other potential benefits too that you might not even have been […]

Last updated on October 28th, 2019 at 04:36 pm. The new law has now been approved. From June 1 2013 property owners have to provide buyers or tenants with an energy performance certificate (EPC) in Spain. The EPC must include objective information about the level of energy efficiency of the building so that potential purchasers […]

Last updated on March 19th, 2020 at 10:01 am. Where should the majority of tax be collected from? Countries have, by and large, come to the same kinds of conclusions. We expect to make some contribution to the state purse from our earnings and income. We are also used to having VAT on services and […]

Last updated on September 13th, 2019 at 09:11 am. For British National residents in Spain it used to be possible to obtain a new British passport from Madrid. Since the 13th May, this option has been removed. All applications now need to be sent directly to the Identity and Passport Service (IPS) in Belfast. Although […]

Last updated on September 13th, 2019 at 09:11 am. It should be a very special time. However, for many women across the world pregnancy and childbirth are very dangerous periods of their lives. ‘Surviving the First Day: State of the World’s Mothers 2013’ is a report by Save the Children. It was produced on commemoration […]

Last updated on September 13th, 2019 at 09:17 am. Spanish inheritance often catches people unawares. Partly because it’s still something we’re uncomfortable in discussing and also because it can be quite complicated in Spain.  The rules are different, particularly in relation to Spanish inheritance tax and it often takes people by surprise that there is […]

Last updated on September 13th, 2019 at 09:11 am. Ensuring you have access to health care in Spain is at the top of every Spanish property owner’s agenda. We are aware that there is a lot of confusion around entitlements and what Spanish health care you can access with which card. There are three main […]

Last updated on March 19th, 2020 at 03:16 pm. We all want to preserve as much as we can for our heirs and avoid leaving them with difficult issues to address. In this article we consider how you can pave the way for the family you leave behind. Legal ways to reduce inheritance tax in […]

Last updated on March 19th, 2020 at 03:16 pm. The main item that any inheritor is likely to inherit is property. Spanish property is probably the biggest factor in the majority of Spanish inheritance cases. However, there might be other items to be received by heirs too. Other significant assets might exist such as cars […]

Last updated on March 19th, 2020 at 03:15 pm. In Spain, the amount of Spanish inheritance tax to pay is determined by three things: the relationship of the inheritor to the deceased whether the deceased and inheritor(s) are resident or non-resident the autonomous community in which the property is located Depending on these factors, the […]

Last updated on March 19th, 2020 at 03:17 pm. We recommend to all our clients that at some point they make a will in Spain. It is true that a will made in your home country can cover all your world wide belongings, including any you have in Spain. However, if you don’t have a […]