Tossa
de Mar
Costa Brava, Catalonia
Not
more scams?
I'm
afraid so. This time it's to do with tax. Some of our
clients have received e-mails supposedly from HMRC
or Agencia Tributaria. The e-mail states that they
are eligible for a tax refund and, you've guessed it,
enter your bank account details here. Whatever you do,
don't! If you're a client of Ábaco's we will have already
informed you if you have a rebate due and your account
details are already on the tax declaration form.
For more information read our article here. It includes
some handy advice about avoiding phishing too.
In
the news
Domestic
Violence remains an issue for Spain with three deaths
reported recently in 48 hours. It is important to note
that the courts are taking a very strong line on this
crime but it does not seem to be having much of an impact.
It should be emphasised that a high proportion of the
incidents do not involve Spanish nationals. Of the three
recently reported one couple was from Bolivia and in
the second the man was from Ecuador.
Some blame the machismo attitude of men in Spain and
the transition from dictatorship to democracy with the
subsequent influx of women into more high-powered and
influential roles.
Others suggest that the increasing pressure on families
due to the economic crisis and rising immigration are
having an effect upon the services available in some
areas leading to a rise in the statistics. There are
suggestions that in some cases men are being unfairly
accused with no right of reply.
An interesting report can
be found here.
The Culture Spain website is an interesting one
with lots of information about Spain including an English
translation of the Spanish newspaper El País www.culturespain.com
We invite your
comments,
feedback and
suggestions.
Please e-mail us at...
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A
very uncomplimentary tax
It's
been in the news a lot - an additional tax, we call
it the 'complimentary' tax, that can be levied
on property purchasers up to four years after they have
bought a property in Spain. To clear up any misunderstandings
and to find out what you should do about it, click
here.
On
the forums What works for you?
There are two subjects that come up every year and always
attract lots of comments on the forums. How do you get
rid of mosquitos and cockroaches? These two pests
can make life a misery at certain times of the year
and the debate thrives around what works and what doesn't.
If we concentrate on the mosquitos for this issue, the
forum's suggestions for warding them off include:
- Marmite
- Listerine
- Lavender water
- Citronella plants
- Eucalyptus incense sticks
- Electric fans
- Tonic water
- B1 tablets
- cats
To read more around this debate: www.torreviejaforums.com
We'd like to know what's worked for you. Please e-mail
us on inf@abaco-asesores.com
We could perhaps even compile our top ten tips for tackling
troublesome insects.
Ongoing
saga of Ryanair
If
there is one name that seems to attract a reaction it's
Ryanair. Since we identified one way of avoiding their
booking charges we've had several e-mails from you with
other suggestions too. Thank you.
You've told us that if you open a Solbank account
you receive a pre-paid card that you can use for free
when booking your Ryanair tickets. One of our clients
obtained a virtual card from Rural Caja which
you can pre-load from your current account, can be used
for internet purchases and will not incur Ryanair charges.
Another client goes further than this though. Why bother
with changing your card? Just dispense with Ryanair
instead and use Aer Lingus www.aerlingus.com
because.. "they give you more leg room, have better,
leather seats with a wrap around collar for added comfort.
Their service is usually first class and they do not
charge for booking with visa." This must be Peter's
favourite airline. What's yours?
Cadaqués
is a small fishing town where Salvador Dalí lived.
Costa Brava, Catalonia
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