The Word on the Street - News and Information from Spain

News and Information from Spain

International Edition - November 2016

Welcome to the November issue of 'The Word on the Street'. This is your monthly news and information from Spain provided by Ábaco Advisers. We hope to keep you in touch with the news, events and just a little bit of gossip.

All you need to know about non-resident tax in Spain

All you need to know about non-resident tax in Spain

As the deadline for the non-resident tax declarations (December 31st) approaches, many non-residents with property in Spain have been coming to us with their questions. Here, we summarise the answers.

If you’re already an Ábaco client you have no need to worry about your non-resident tax. We will take care of it for you. However, you might know someone who is not so compliant and would benefit from reading our article. Remember the deadline is December 31st.

Either way, it’s here to read it:

All you need to know about non-resident taxes in Spain

If you like your music

If you like your music

You might be interested to hear that a three-day festival in Madrid will feature a number of well-known bands. Mad Cool 2017 will include Green Day, Foo Fighters and Kings of Leon amongst 170 acts from July 6th to July 8th. This will be the second festival of its kind. For more information:

Green Day, Foo Fighters and Kings of Leon confirmed for Mad Cool 2017

Tickets are available from:

madcoolfestival.es

English edition El País

English edition El País

This is an excellent, live broadcast conducted by the editor of El País in English, Simon Hunter, and his colleague, Nick Line. It’s a really good listen and gives great insight into what’s happening in Spain. You can access all the back issues of this broadcast from visiting El País' Facebook page. Watch out too for the broadcasts to come.

El País' Facebook Page

Update from Corvera

Update from Corvera

We haven’t covered it for a while but here is the latest bulletin on San Javier and Corvera. In spite of an optimistic news stories of a tender for Corvera Airport being finalised by Christmas it looks as though new routes are currently being planned for San Javier. A new route is now open between Antwerp in Belgium and San Javier:

New route launched San Javier Airport, will Corvera ever open?

British demand for property falls, but more foreigners buy

British demand for property falls, but more foreigners buy

It’s perhaps not surprising that the British market has fallen in the wake of the referendum. The reduced value of the pound is perhaps one of the main reasons that demand for property has reduced. However, in contrast to this, the total foreign demand has, in fact, increased overall by 9.4% in the third quarter for the year.

For some very clear and attractive charts that give a break down of who has been buying:

Brexit sinks British demand 16pc in Q3, but foreign demand up overall

Lidl on the way up

Lidl on the way up

However challenging the economic times might be, there are always those who seem to thrive. Such would seem to be the case for Lidl in Spain. Not only are the number of stores in the country growing but it looks as though they’re spreading out into the restaurant business too. Tumbit in Spain keeps us updated with their fortunes:

Lidl opens pop-up restaurant in Madrid

Lidl To Invest €350 Million And Create 800 Jobs In Spain

When it rains in Spain...

When it rains in Spain...

...it rains. We’ve been having our first bout of heavy rainfall recently and, as usual, water cascades down ramblas and other water channels with furious speed. In this video clip we see just how swift and devastating it can be. A real cautionary tale not to ignore restrictions and warning signs about flooding:

VIDEO: Dramatic rescue of woman from floating car in Spain

Barcelona is a happy place for expats

Barcelona is a happy place for expats

That apparently is the conclusion from the Expat Insider 2016 survey. Both Madrid and Barcelona prove to be near the top of the list, although Spanish cities generally are given a thumbs up for happiness, being welcoming and offering lots of lesiure activities. What reduces their overall ranking is the personal finance rating:

Expats in Barcelona Are the Happiest

No millions

No millions

You might or might not have seen the publicity surrounding the allegedly large inheritance left by Antonino Fernández, president of Grupo Modelo, who produces Corona. He was said to have left a significant part of his fortune to the 77 residents of the Spanish village Cerezales del Condado. It was rumoured that they had each been left 2 million euros on his death. The story is still heart warming even without the large donation:

Spanish villagers blow froth off reports of Corona baron's bonanza

Going for a stroll

Going for a stroll

If you enjoy taking a casual stroll down Spanish streets then you just might enjoy this article. It's from the Local and gives you six favourite streets in Spain down which to have a saunter.

The six Spanish streets you just have to walk down

Tightening up on rentals in Barcelona

Tightening up on rentals in Barcelona

For many, increased tourism is a blessing. However, in Barcelona there are moves to control the amount of tourism there is and, in particular, to ensure that rental premises are properly registered:

Barcelona to fine Airbnb, HomeAway 600,000 euros each

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

This will be the last newsletter before Christmas. If you do happen to be in Spain over the festive period then you should be able to enjoy the much more low-key way in which it is celebrated here. In fact, Spain is the ideal place to come if you are keen to withdraw from some of the hype that tends to accompany this religious festival.

For more information about how Christmas is celebrated in Spain:

Christmas and New Year in Spain

If you are in the vacinity of Madrid you might want to take a look at their lights. No expense is spared on making this a show to remember. This year, 2.2 million euros has been spent on the Madrid illuminations. Spanish News Today tell us more about them:

Christmas lights switched on all over Spain

La Vanguardia shows us the 10 most surprising Christmas illuminations in Madrid and Barcelona:

Las 10 iluminaciones navideñas más sorprendentes de Barcelona y Madrid

What interests you?

What interests you?

We would welcome any suggestions for future themes you would like us to cover either in the newsletter or in an article on Spain Explained.

Please let us know by email at newsletter@abacoadvisers.com.

Thank you!