what are autonomos for?

[Lavanda]

I'm a retired person with pension and health cover due to the reciprocal arrangements with the UK. I don't want or need a pension or more health care from Spain so my question is this: if I start a small holiday business renting out a house (fully insured, of course) to paying guests can I do it without paying autonomos?

[olive]

Good question.

I am under the impression that you cannot earn an income once you are pension receiving age.

[anis]

I am UK age retired, in receipt of a tiny pension due to bringing children up as a stay at home mother, good advice that was, eh ? At least our kids didn't run off rioting and looting back then - another story.
I am still running a busy, fully legitimate on site holiday rental business, with autonomo, vivienda rurales, architect plans passed, extinguishers in place, tax paid annually, licence numbers displayed as per government request - so yes to both the above comments.
As has been pointed out earlier, there is a law in place about all this. It just hasn't been enforced because they didn't need to.
I have a feeling they will crack down on it all soon because it is being grossly abused in some quarters lately and will end in tears as per usual. I thought initially the abuse stemmed from credit crunch problems but far too many more are jumping on the jolly old band wagon for my liking and those I know have other businesses and are not in need just downright greedy and they are affecting my business now so I hope they do enforce the law soon and be done with it. Where some of them are based, they would not obtain a licence any way.
I am beginning to understand how the hotels must have felt towards us rurales properties but we are not in direct competition with them - they are only extending the tourism areas into the countryside where the hotels would not go.
It is not all that difficult to do or that expensive to set up but the host country deserve their bite of the cherry and they are not getting it always. That is not right.
I did have to get a lawyer to help me set up initially and employ an architect and had to meet some initial costs. It is not hard and you sleep well at night, knowing the tax man is not going to call.
The added bonus is your guests get peace of mind. Mine never ask me if I am genuine or a real place. They know I am - we are correctly listed and I can be taken off that list by them.

[scampicat]

Good question.

I am under the impression that you cannot earn an income once you are pension receiving age.

You can if your Pension is from the UK. (other country's rules may be different). You can earn as much as you like. You may of course have to pay tax on it to the country where you are resident.

[Lavanda]

I'm happy to pay tax on it and already do I've had a few holiday people turn up from time to time last year. They found me via my web site. However, I'm thinking of becoming a bit more pro-active. Local people love 'rich' foreigners in the village spending money in the shops, bars, cafes, etc. They see it that without me doing what I'm doing the village would not get that extra income. It might be different if I took away business from a local person but that's not, so far, the case.

[olive]

So just to expand on that.

Resident here. Earning a small income from olive farm. Paying autonomo, Then Reach Spanish retirement age(hopefully). Probably not worked long enough here for a Spanish pension but long enough in the Uk for a state pension.

Then I understood you cannot continue to earn an income (in this case from olives). Presumably someone in the tax office here would spot your return showing income from olives.

Question maybe for El Cid. Do you get a different tax code on reaching Spanish retirement age i.e. different allowances?

[anis]

I seem to remember Benidorm writing about this a long while ago and I felt sure he said we oldies were fine to carry on working through retirement.
I am.. I have to , I couldn't survive on that measly pay out.
Where are you, Beni, I miss you - like a few others on here too.

[El Cid]

Question maybe for El Cid. Do you get a different tax code on reaching Spanish retirement age i.e. different allowances?

You get an extra allowance at 65 of €918 and at 75 you get another €1122 making a total of €2040

Sid