Living in Spain.
 

Quick question for those living in Spain.
My partner and I are thinking about moving down to Spain with our two, very young, boys. I fly long haul for a large European flag carrier so the commute wouldn't be a problem as I have enough time off and I can also fly part time.
Could those in the know give me a rough idea about taxes and any stumbling blocks they came across. We're also thinking about sending the boys to an English school to start with, so any info. about that would be appreciated.

About taxes, It will depend if workers of your flag carrier pay taxes in Spain or in the country of origin, like Ryanair workers do for instance.


If salaries are going to be paid under Spanish state regulations, note that taxes will be around 20/ 30 % of your gross salary approximately.


About Schools and so on, If you are going to live in either Madrid or Barcelona there are good british schools in both.


Hope that helps a bit. If not, write again, I will try to shed more light on the issue.

Depends what your salary is, it can go up to 45% for a good long haul pilot salary.

Taxes could be more than 45%. You will have to pay them in Spain if you spend more than 183 days a year there. But, how are they going to know that?
Marbella is a nice place to live and there are English schools.
You'd better talk to a tax advisor.

You will be liable for taxes in Spain if your wife and dependent children live there. As for finding out, the G5 have just signed an tax information sharing agreement . Guess it depends if you feel lucky?

You have been given good advice above, the most pertinent is to seek advice from a qualified Spanish Tax advisor. I have an accountant do my return beacuse it looks nightmarish, I ensure I am out of Spain for more than 183 days, even though my family is there, to ensure I qualify for the necessary tax break.

I live 100km east if Jerez, in rural Spain this is more a challenge, my 6 year old goes to a Spanish school, she is tri-lingual and is severly criticised because she is more fluent in English as a native speaker than the locals. Dealing with the local institutions such as the Ministry of Interior and the local town hall can be challenging if you dont speak Spanish. On the coast, around Marbella, Malaga, Jerez and Seville there are English schools, however, I cannot comment on the quality.

One other point learn to speak Spanish to a good level.

As a retired airline pilot and having retired to Spain, I cannot but agree with most of the above.

If you are receiving a full airline pilot's salary, there is probably nowhere in the world where you will not be taxed at a very high rate. The tax in Spain is different to the UK but not much higher. As for the kids, if you are coming over here, do send them to a Spanish school. They will be fluent in Spanish in an embarrassingly short time and that will only be an extra qualification when they grow up.

On the personal side, I know of a pilot who works in Japan and his family lives here (month on, month off). It's a great place to live, not perfect by any means but the weather makes up for a lot.

It's late October and the temperature today, not excessive but a comfortable 25 degrees during the day and not a lot less at night.

Do think long and hard about it, but I highly recommend it!

Been in Spain for 12 years but never over the 183 days. If you are looking to buy a property check the Catastral (Property Details) number and details on the internet. If anything is wrong find another. The local taxes (council tax, waste tax & car tax) are a lot less than the UK. Learn Spanish and believe nothing any of the local sages tell you. Find out everything yourself.

(Tax)legislation changes all the time, what was correct last year may be different this year. I used to do it myself but now need a tax advisor. The best advise I can give you is use a good tax advisor (gestor). Follow the law and stay out of trouble.

Rent first and get to know how things work in Spain. Prepare well before buying.

My main home and family is in Spain. However, I don't spend 185 days in Spain but being a pilot I don't spend 185 days in any country. The 185 days is just one of many variables used to judge where you should pay tax.

Use a good tax advisor in the UK too. Also the tax year in Spain is different from the tax year in the UK which complicates things more. Sofar, I get more questions/work from the Spanish tax authority than from the British.

Unless you are legally separated, if your wife and dependent children live in Spain, then you are liable to pay in Spain. Whether you get caught if you don't pay is a different matter. People have been living here for years and not paid a penny.
Be aware that Hacienda are even checking electricity and gas bill to look for people that say they are non resident but have steady utility usage throughout the year. In a nutshell, the government needs the revenue.

Sorry if this is a silly question, but are the tax rates the same between the Spanish mainland and say for instance the Canary Islands or Majorca etc?? Also it seems like a lot of negative feedback but I know people are just trying to make others aware of factors etc, with the amount of pilots heading out to Spain surely the benefits must out weigh the negatives?? Regards SAR

Hi,

It is not a silly question. Balearic Islands Region (Majorca) has the same tax system as spanish mainland but tax rates are different in each region, exceptions are Basque Country and Navarra with their own tax systems.

Canary Islands Region has the same tax system as spanish mainland but it is considered a Special Economic Area with some tax exceptions and reductions, e.g. reduced VAT (cheaper petrol and tobacco,etc).

I recommend you to ask a spanish tax advisor to be sure you make things right because now, due to Spanish Crisis, Hacienda is like an angry watchdog.

Hope you enjoy a beautiful life in Spain.

Great Information, thanks @barrel.

Living in Spain
 

Hi there,

I lived in the UK and now am back in Spain.

As somebody else already pointed out, you will be bound to pay income taxes in Spain... and Taxes here are significantly different to the UK (fiscal year = calendar year). I did have a UK tax advisor and I would strongly suggest to have a Spanish one (by the way, they cost a fraction of the UK ones)

Income Taxes... expect them to be higher. Top rate will vary from region to region but will go from min 52% to 56% in Catalonia (and maybe somewhere else).

Council Taxes... a joke compared to UK ones. Depending on the property you own, but around €1,000 per year.

British Schools. There are a number of good options (Madrid, Barcelona, Malaga, etc.). Tuition fees between 500 and 1000 per child per month. Don't worry about the kids learning Spanish because they will, no matter what school you send them to. Playground language is Spanish!!!

Weather. Well, there is just no comparison... but do expect some cold weather in the winter if you live away from the sea (yes, it does snow in Spain... but we grit and plough our motorways :))

British expats. There are a number of British citizens living by the sea in Spain. I would say mainly Murcia, Alicante and Malaga (the biggest one) but would suggest you blend in...otherwise you will lose a lot of the culture.

Hope it helps

Cheers
fullstep

Very informative thanks @fullstep. "Tuition fees between 500 and 1000 per child per month" ... obviously private schools or is that the normal cost of education in Spain, seems very expensive? Regards SAR.

That's private schools. But you have "concertados" schools, which are private
schools that the state pay for you( part or all, not sure) the tuition, if you qualify.
And you have public schools, which are free.

Thanks @The Range.

I am a Spaniard flying in the Uk and originally from BCN. I can answer a few of your questions:
- income tax: I am not an expert but I am 99% sure you will have to pay income tax in Spain. As others have suggested, the system is quite similar to the UK one, taxes a bit higher (especially "Seguridad social", which is our National Insurance).
- schools: it depends on how much money you can spend. I would not recommend public schools. Private schools are really expensive, but you will find that they are very good and British schools have got loads of good reputation. "Concertados" schools are very good as well, and they are normally paid 50/50 between you and the Spanish government. A rough idea about prices is: private 500-1000€ a month, concertado around 300 and public schools are free.
- language: somebody complained that you need to know Spanish for almost everything, especially dealing with the government. Well this is the case in every single country in the world. Go to France and try to speak English, go to China and try to speak English. I am Spanish and I don't use Spanish when going to hospitals in London or speak to the DVLA. English is used as the international language in many areas but it's not an official language in many many many countries, so you will have to get used to that. As somebody said, your children will learn Spanish very quickly.
- health system: I thought the public system was rubbish, but having suffered the British one, I would say it is not that bad. However, I would strongly strongly reccomend to have a private medical insurance, which is a bit expensive but worth it. Private hospitals and doctors (at least in BCN) are extremely good, and the overall statistics for illnesses like cancer beat the ones in the UK (which are fairly poor to be honest). The private health system does not go through our GPs (as it happens in the UK), so they are extremely quick, with a good cover you will be seen by an especialist within a week. A good medical insurance can be around 50-80 euros a month if under 55 and expect double of that when older.
- areas: BCN is a fantastic place to live. You will not find many brits here (although you will find that many people speak English, especially young people) but there loads of people from different countries. Good schools, good hospitals and loads loads loads of things to do. Fantastic beaches close by and even ski resorts. We have got many many flights to the UK every day, which is a bonus (EZY, BA, RYR, Norwegian, MON, VLG, Jet2...). If you want to find brits, you will need to go south (Malaga being the best one).
- buying and renting: as somebody suggested do not buy before renting. It is not only the paperwork, it is the fact that you will need to know the area. Tourists are normally atracted by areas that we hate. Living in the centre of Barcelona (Born)- and many cities - is a nightmare, and the other day I watched "A place in the sun" and people were desperate to find a house there! Know the city before deciding and know public transport, which is fairly good and much much cheaper than in the UK. Having said this, properties are now very cheap in Spain, so it is a good moment to buy.
- weather: ... that's the reason why I am part year working and enjoying the winter over here!

Finally, deciding where to live is extremely important. Different areas in Spain have got different personalities and culture. Catalonia is very "European", people are switched on, hate bull fighting and flamenco, but they speak another language (Catalan), which you must take into account. The South (Malaga, Sevilla) is very laid back and passionate for what Catalans hate. Madrid is something in between and the north is just quite similar to the UK weatherwise.

Good luck, Spain is a fantastic place to live and you will find there pretty much everything you need (except for Cadbury chocolate and good lemonade).

If you go to a foreign country then you have to (you MUST) learn its local language and speak it fluently. In Spain, there is no exeption and if you don't do any effort you will just be another f****ng guiri that deserve no respect from neighbourhood.