All help welcome

[kabristaff]

Please could anyone help, I would be gratefull for any help or advice on fiscal representation, supposedly it is something that has to be paid once a year some kind of tax for none resident proprieters. I have heard that it is better done at a Gestoria, does anyone know of a good honest gestoria near to Alcaucin. thankyou

[palmtrees]

Do you mean the "wealth tax" primarily on your property if you are a non-resident?

For non-residents it is payable by the end of the year following the year you bought your property.

So for example, if you bought in May 2007, it does not have to be paid until end Dec 2008. And you also only have to pay for the months following the purchase ie if you bought in May you would pay 8/12s of the annual tax.

(The following year naturally it would be a full year's tax - unless you sold of course).

You need the usual papers, passport, NIE no, contribución (IBI) bill (stamped as paid), and you get the form from your local Hacienda office (is it the Vélez one?). Meant to be downloadable too but I couldn't manage it last year. They give you some stickies to put on the top of the form, and you fill it in, and you can get them to check you have done it right. You put it in a special envelope and then go and pay at a banco.

It is EASY. It takes no more than 20/30 mins. I have no idea what gestors charge, but it is not difficult. But I do not like spending money unnecessarily. There is info on this site if you do a search for wealth tax.

[Zofia]

Oh gosh, we've had our property for 7 years but haven't paid any tax on it. We have never been asked to, even though we are registered at the Ayuntamiento and pay something (Council tax, or equivalent). So they know we exist and own a property (we have NIE too....). Should I expect a visit from the heavies at some time? I've never had anything in the post about it.......

[concorde]

Zofia, I am paying tax for the first time this year and although no-one is chasing me to do so , it will make me feel better.

Also apparently, if you do decide to sell up I've read somewhere that you will have to pay up all back taxes and possibly fines.
I'm not sure how far back the taxes go.

It's definitely not like the U.K. for chasing you up!!!!!

I'm sure someone more knowledgable will be on to give you more advice.

[alaninspain]

Assuming that when you legally sell either a house or a car here. all unpaid taxes and fines fall upon the new owner. Spanish lawyers are more accountable these days but there are still some dodgy ones around, who will tell you they can get round the regulations.

[palmtrees]

Not sure about this. I thought they did too - or at least so it says in all the books and stuff

But when we bought, the woman before us had not paid a number of bills and taxes, and we were told by the local ayuntamiento that it wasn't in our name so they didn't apply. The guy actually ripped up one of the bills in front of me and chucked it in the bin.

As for utilities - we hassled the estate agent and just gave the bills to her to sort with the previous owner.

Back to the wealth tax, for the princely sum of 100€ or whatever it is a year, I find it gives me peace of mind and a clear conscience.