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THE “SUMMER HOLIDAY RENTALS” ISSUE

Written by Francisco Delgado Montilla on 10 July, 2013. Posted in Andalucia, english speaking solicitor, Headline, Income, lawyer, legal advice, Property law, rentals, solicitors Nerja, torrox. No Comments on THE “SUMMER HOLIDAY RENTALS” ISSUE

Spain, summer, holiday, rentals, tax, law — New rules Spanish holiday rentals tax

On the 5th of June 2013, Spanish Law 4/2013 dated 4th of June was published in the Spanish Official Gazette B.O.E. This recent Law states the procedures to relax and promote the rental housing market. By means of this Law, the Spanish Government tries to regulate summer holiday rentals, which are not controlled by the Spanish Tax Administration Office.

These regulations aim at two basic objectives: on the one hand, to change people’s habit in respect of meeting their housing needs—up to now, people were inclined to purchase their usual home and obtain a mortgage. Now, it is a question to be more inclined to live in a rental home. And on the other hand, these regulations aim at combating underground economy of summer holiday rentals.

Nevertheless, these regulations leave summer holiday rentals without legal protection, because they provide that “rentals intended for non-residential use” are not regulated by the Urban Rental Law (Spanish acronym LAU), but by the regulations of Regional Governments according to their own criteria.

Particularly, Andalusian legislation on this respect is very strict and tough if compared with other Spanish regions. For example, owners with less than three rental properties in the same building or residential complex are not included within Andalusian regulations. As a result of that conditioning, a high percentage of owners are prevented from renting their second homes. This is aimed at combating “encroachment” upon the tourist professional field and unfair competition for traditional tour operators.

Alternatively, the new Law imposes strict and controlling measures for this type of summer rentals—the Spanish Tax Administration Office obliges electric companies to submit annually a report including household consumption. This is intended to gather the necessary data to detect those housing rentals that are not declared.

The new Law literally provides the following: “… it is not included within the scope of this law: … the temporary assignment for use of the entire furnished and equipped home to be immediately occupied, marketed and promoted through tourist offer channels for economic purposes, when this property is subject to a specific regime as a result of its sectorial regulations.

Upon consideration of this statement, these regulations may be discussed and interpreted in respect of renting a home for holidays from a private landlord. We consider that this rental is possible, but it is necessary to tell the difference between two types of scenarios: on the one hand, the rental per days with a tourist purpose; and on the other hand, the seasonal rental.

In the former case, it implies a regular commercial use of the rental by a professional, offering other additional services apart from the accommodation. In fact, this kind of tourist apartment rentals was also excluded from Spanish Urban Rental Law (LAU) up to now. They were regulated by the legislation of the competent public bodies.

In the later scenario, we are not dealing with a tourist business activity, but a temporary assignment without additional obligation. Accordingly, this new Law does not seem to affect people under these conditions. In case it does, it may certainly imply a clear restriction of owners’ rights. They may be able to rent their homes per season, whether for a long term or a short term, including per days. In addition, these housing rentals are regulated under the protection of Spanish Urban Rental Law of 1994 (LAU).

Author: Francisco Delgado Montilla, C&D Solicitors (lawyers)
Torrox-Costa (Malaga/Costa del Sol/Andalucia)

NEW TAX LIABILITY FOR RESIDENT TAXPAYERS

Written by Francisco Delgado Montilla on 23 January, 2013. Posted in Income, lawyer, legal advice, malaga, resident, Tax Law, tax resident, taxes. No Comments on NEW TAX LIABILITY FOR RESIDENT TAXPAYERS

New tax liability for resident tax payer in Spain

The Spanish Government passed on the 15th of November 2012 a Royal Decree providing the liabilities to inform about assets and rights located abroad. This information is available at http://www.boe.es/boe/dias/2012/11/24/pdfs/BOE-A-2012-14452.pdf.

This liability only affects resident taxpayers; non-residents are not liable for submitting this tax return.

Any account in financial institutions and any kind of real property or real property rights of ownership shall be declared, as well as any securities, interests, insurances and incomes, which are deposited, managed or obtained abroad.

Taxpayers shall inform about these assets and rights which they own abroad as at 31st of December 2012.

This tax return shall include any kind of assets and rights provided that the individual value for each of them exceeds EUR 50,000. This includes the following:

– All accounts in financial institutions—account balances as at 31st of December and average balances for the last quarter.

– Real property, indicating the purchase date and acquisition value.

– Real property rights of ownership, indicating the opening or cancellation date.

– Securities, interests, insurances and incomes which are deposited, managed or obtained abroad as at 31st of December of each year.

The submission of this informative tax return in successive years is only compulsory when the established limit have increased more than EUR 20,000.

The requirements of this tax liability shall be met between the 1st of January and the 31st of March in the following year to which this information refers.

This tax liability refers to both individual residents and bodies corporate which are liable for corporate tax in Spain. Tax form 720 shall be electronically submitted to fulfill the requirements of this tax return.

The recent approval of this tax liability to inform about assets located abroad represents a new control method for liable taxpayers in order to uncover informal economy, tax evasion and money laundering.

Fines are significant and they do not refer to the legal o illegal way of obtaining those assets, but to the fact that they are declared or not. The failure to submit the informative tax return will be considered a very serious infringement and the corresponding sanctions will be applied. This implies the payment of a EUR 5,000 set fine for each point of information which is not declared and the minimum fine amounts to EUR 10,000. The fine for individual taxpayers amounts to EUR 100 for each point of information and the minimum fine amounts to EUR 1,500, where the informative tax return had been submitted after the deadline without previous notification from the Spanish Tax Authority.

It is worth stressing the heavy fines, including for declaration of imprecise information. The above mentioned Royal Decree does not allow misunderstandings. A single mistake may result in a heavy fine. The declaration of incomplete or imprecise information entails the same sanctions. The fact that these assets are correctly declared in the country of origin will never be considered a ground for excluding the liability to pay the fine.

It is also determined that the tax liability to inform shall not be time-barred in respect to the date of origin of the assets and the application of this rule.

If this is your case, please do not wait any longer and prepare all the necessary information for submission to the Spanish Tax Authority in the following days. If you have any doubt or enquiry regarding this issue, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Author: Francisco Delgado Montilla, C&D Solicitors (lawyers)
Torrox-Costa (Malaga/Costa del Sol/Andalucia)

BUYING YOUR HOME IN SPAIN BEFORE THE 31ST DECEMBER 2012

Written by Gustavo Calero Monereo on 15 November, 2012. Posted in Capital Gains, developer, english speaking solicitor, Headline, Income, Property law, taxes. No Comments on BUYING YOUR HOME IN SPAIN BEFORE THE 31ST DECEMBER 2012

In this year we have published several blog articles regarding tax changes on property subjects which the Spanish Central Government has passed over this year. In that regard, the deadline to implement most of them finishes on the 31st of December.

As a requirement to increase tax revenues, this new year will bring the removal of some tax reliefs which are currently enjoyed by home buyers in Spain.

From the 1st of January, home buyers in Spain should consider that the following tax incentives will disappear:

1) 50% tax exemption on capital gains obtained for the future sale of the property which had been purchased before the 31st of December 2012.

2) The Spanish VAT rate will increase from 4% to 10% for new housing purchases.

3) Tax deduction for main residence purchases, applicable in the event of tax residence in Spain.

Tax saving when buying a home before the 31st of December may become a very significant factor to keep in mind for those looking for a property in Spain and hesitating about different alternatives to take a decision. In these cases, we recommend them to make up their minds before the end of the year in order to take advantage of the above mentioned tax relieves.

Furthermore, sellers have also a reason to sell before the 31st of December—from the 1st of January 2013, Spanish Plusvalia (municipal capital gains tax on land) rate may increase from 66% to 150%, depending on the municipality where the property is located.

It is also worth mentioning that Town Councils reviewing cadastral values in the last 5 years were obliged till now to apply a 40% to 60% reduction on the resulting payable fee for Plusvalia tax. However, from the 1st of January 2013 this obligation will disappear—then, each Town Council may decide whether to apply or not this reduction. Regarding the current economic situation of most Town Councils, all of us may have to get use to the idea that just a few of them may decide to apply this reduction.

Author: Gustavo Calero Monereo, C&D Solicitors (lawyers)
Torrox-Costa (Malaga/Costa del Sol/Andalucia)

TAX EXEMPTION WHEN BUYING A PROPERTY BEFORE 31/12/2012

Written by Gustavo Calero Monereo on 6 June, 2012. Posted in Capital Gains, discount, english speaking solicitor, Featured, Headline, Income, legal advice, malaga, NON RESIDENT, property law, resident, solicitor, taxes. No Comments on TAX EXEMPTION WHEN BUYING A PROPERTY BEFORE 31/12/2012

Regarding the current financial situation, which is reflected in the drop of property sales in Spain every three months, the Spanish Government has passed a new tax exemption. This exemption tries to promote the sale of properties and may become very interesting for both individuals and bodies corporate considering buying a real estate property in Spain in the short term, whether they purchase commercial premises, homes, offices, garages, plots, storage rooms, etc.

On the 12th of May 2012, the Central Government passed the Spanish Royal Decree-Law 18/2012 of 11th of May on the restructuring and sale of the property assets of the financial sector. This regulation included in its First, Second and Third Final Provisions the tax exemption for bodies corporate and individuals, whether resident or non-resident in Spain. This reform law allows all those buying a property from the 12th of May 2012 till the 31st of December 2012 to pay taxes only on the 50% of the capital gains tax when selling the property subsequently, whether in 1, 5, 10…etc years, while the remaining 50% is free of charges.

This exemption may save an important amount of money, because if a property is currently sold in Spain, capital gains are taxed at 21% for non-residents (19% from 2014), at 27% for resident taxpayers in Spain (21% from 2014) and at 30% for bodies corporate.

Here we present an example: imagine you are thinking about buying a property in Spain considering the current market opportunities; the price for this property may be EUR 200,000; the following eventual scenarios may occur according to the date of purchase when selling this property, for example, in 2017 for a sale price of EUR 270,000:

1) Non-resident taxpayers: EUR 70,000 of capital gains at 19% makes a total payment of EUR 13,000; if the purchase is performed before the 31/12/2012, the total payment would be EUR 6,650.

2) Resident taxpayers: EUR 70,000 of capital gains at 21% makes a total payment of EUR 14,700. If the purchase is performed before the 31/12/2012, the total payment would be EUR 7,350.

3) Corporate: EUR 70,000 of capital gains at 30% makes a total payment of EUR 21,000. If the purchase is performed before the 31/12/2012, the total payment would be EUR 10,500.

Obviously, this tax saving is not definitive in order to decide whether to buy a property or not in Spain, as it is not possible to know whether prices may go down much more nor the gains resulting from the eventual property sale. However, this fact may be a helpful factor to take a decision for those considering buying a property, especially for those non-speculative potential buyers whose main purpose is to enjoy this property for many years; thus, the longer they own the property, the greater the capital gains may be when selling it. Look at the figures and draw your own conclusions.

Author: Gustavo Calero Monereo, C&D Solicitors (lawyers)
Torrox-Costa (Malaga/Costa del Sol/Andalucia)

TAX EXEMPTION WHEN SELLING YOUR PROPERTY IN SPAIN

Written by Francisco Delgado Montilla on 12 April, 2012. Posted in conveyancing, Featured, Headline, Income, lawyer, legal advice, NON RESIDENT, PREVENTION, property law, Property law, solicitor, taxes, torrox. No Comments on TAX EXEMPTION WHEN SELLING YOUR PROPERTY IN SPAIN

The Spanish Constitution and the regulations (tax and social) developed thereof, regarding the protection of the elderly, guarantee that the elderly will receive a comprehensive system of care and protection that promotes and enhances the wellbeing of this section of the population, within which this article highlights the area of economic protection.

The purpose of this type of protection is to formulate a system of regulations that provide the elderly with the necessary economic resources, which will contribute towards their independence and improve their quality of life.

As principle provisions or benefits within this economic protection of the elderly, we can highlight, among other things: retirement pensions (contributory and non-contributory), supplementary economic provisions, various subsidies and aid, which is granted within the scope of Social Services, as well as certain tax benefits.

In relation to this matter, this article will focus on the exemption from capital gains tax, which, for those over 65, occurs at the time that their habitual residence is sold.

Gains derived from the transfer of immovable property are taxed, for non-residents, at a fixed rate of 19%. For residents, the first €6,000 is taxed at 19% and the rest is taxed at 21%.

Moreover, in the case of the transfer of property by a non-resident, the purchaser shall be obliged to withhold and pay 3% of the sale price as payment on account of taxes which should meet the requirements of capital gains for non-residents and that should be paid directly to the Tax Authorities. Said retention from the sale price is not incurred if the seller has the right to tax reduction for the transfer of property that is their habitual residence, for those over the age of 65.

Article 31.4 b) of Law 40/1998, which regulates personal income tax, establishes that those over the age of 65 shall be exempt from capital gains in the event that the property transferred is their habitual residence.

The only two requirements for eligibility for this tax exemption are the following:

The taxpayer must be over 65 at the time that the transfer takes place.
The transferred property must be their habitual residence. In order that the property be considered a place of habitual residence for the purpose of this tax, two temporal limits are established: 1) it must be effectively occupied by the taxpayer within a period of 12 months from the date of acquisition or from the termination of any building work; 2) it must constitute their place of habitual residence for an on-going period of at least three years prior to the date of sale.

Author: Francisco Delgado Montilla, C&D Solicitors (lawyers)
Torrox-Costa (Malaga/Costa del Sol/Andalucia)

BE CAREFUL, NON TAX RESIDENTS

Written by Gustavo Calero Monereo on 2 March, 2011. Posted in Featured, Headline, Income, NON RESIDENT, property law, taxes. No Comments on BE CAREFUL, NON TAX RESIDENTS

Presently, by the fall of prices on the property market, many owners sell their homes for a similar or lower price than the purchase price when they originally bought them, which the main result is that there is no capital gains or this is not that high on the sale of the property.

However, if these owners are non-resident tax in Spain, that is, if they pay taxes in another country, then the buyer has the legal obligation to withhold 3% of the purchase price and to pay it to the Tax Office, on account of the capital gain tax that the seller must pay for the gain on sale of his property. 18% is the tax rate that the Spanish Tax Authorities apply on the capital gain from the sale of a property.

If the seller has not obtained any capital gain or if the tax that he should pay for the gain is less than 3% retained by the buyer, the seller may request a refund of the whole amount or part of it

Well, in the moment that the Tax Office receives the request of the seller for the reimbursement of the income of 3% from the property sale, they firstly check whether the owner has submitted the form 210 –Income Tax Declaration for Non-residents when owning a property in Spain– (before 2008 it was the form 214), for the last 4 years prior to the sale of the property; in case he has not submitted it or he has not submitted any during these obligatory periods, the Tax Office demands the vendor to regularize the situation before returning anything.

In view of this requirement, the seller must submit and pay the corresponding tax due for every year that he has not submitted the form 210, with late payment interest and a financial penalty from the Tax Office for not fulfilling the obligation of submitting the form on time.

Because our experience tells us that many non-resident tax owners do not undertake the obligation of submitting the Form 210, we would recommend you to do it from this year. In case you would decide not do it now, you will probably have to do it later, paying a penalty as extra cost, and if it was your situation, an extra deadline in order the Tax Office to return the amount that the buyer withheld in the purchase of the property.

If you are trying to sell your property, and you have not submitted this tax during the last four years, we do recommend you to regularize the situation and submit the tax. This will prevent you a possible financial penalty from the Tax Office, because if you submit this form with no requirement from the Tax Office, that is voluntarily, you will not be sanctioned by the Tax Authorities.

Author: Gustavo Calero Monereo, C&D Solicitors (lawyers)
Torrox-Costa (Malaga/Costa del Sol/Andalucia)

ANNUAL TAXES FOR NON-RESIDENTS WHEN OWNING A PROPERTY IN SPAIN

Written by Francisco Delgado Montilla on 19 November, 2010. Posted in Featured, Headline, Income, Inmobiliario, NON RESIDENT, property law, taxes. No Comments on ANNUAL TAXES FOR NON-RESIDENTS WHEN OWNING A PROPERTY IN SPAIN

Inheritance tax Spain — solicitor english speaking

All property owners in Spain are liable for some taxes every year. Even if you are (tax) non-resident, when owning a property, you must fulfill your fiscal obligations here in Spain by submitting your yearly income tax declaration for non-residents (IRNR).

In the event you are non-resident in Spain, the reason why you are subject to this tax is because your Spanish property is not your principal residence. Non-residents remain subject to the tax because, by definition, Spain is not their principal residence, so that it is necessary to calculate your property owners’ imputed income tax on your second and further homes you may have.

Be aware of tax year in Spain ends by the 31^st of December, so that your income tax declaration should be submitted to Tax Authorities before this date, by filling out the application form number 210.

The calculation of the IRNR will depend on several factors, among others, the type of property (urban or rustic), when the rated value of the property for tax purposes was raised, price or valuation of the property, etc.

If you are in this situation and you still have not submitted your Property owners’ imputed income tax, you have one month approx. to be up-to-date with Tax Authorities.

Author: Francisco Delgado Montilla, C&D Solicitors (lawyers)
Torrox-Costa (Malaga/Costa del Sol/Andalucia)

THE “SUMMER HOLIDAY RENTALS” ISSUE

NEW TAX LIABILITY FOR RESIDENT TAXPAYERS

BUYING YOUR HOME IN SPAIN BEFORE THE 31ST DECEMBER 2012

TAX EXEMPTION WHEN BUYING A PROPERTY BEFORE 31/12/2012

TAX EXEMPTION WHEN SELLING YOUR PROPERTY IN SPAIN

BE CAREFUL, NON TAX RESIDENTS

ANNUAL TAXES FOR NON-RESIDENTS WHEN OWNING A PROPERTY IN SPAIN

TORROX OFFICE

MALAGA OFFICE