How do you ensure that your property is passed on to those you love without imposing an unexpected financial burden? It is a major consideration for those with property in Spain and whose beneficiaries may be unaware of the implications of Spanish inheritance procedure.

At Ábaco, we believe that donating your property is a good alternative that suits many families better than waiting until someone dies. Now, the positives surrounding donation have recently increased and in this article we share our eleven reasons why you should consider it:

The end of March is the deadline for submitting the 720 and 721 asset declaration forms. If you have already done this and your circumstances haven’t changed then there is no need to submit it again. However, if you live in Spain and have property or other assets in another country then you are required to declare them on these forms.

The 720 includes bank accounts, pension plans and property whereas the 721 refers to cryptocurrencies. If you are unsure if you should complete one of these forms or not, you might like to read our article or contact our tax department for advice:

Following the tragic fire that the city recently experienced, three days of festivities were cancelled. However, the Fallas will still continue in March and if you are able to visit, this is an amazing festival that takes place from March 1st to 19th, with the main events from the 17th to 19th.

It is likely that many city centre hotels will already be booked up, but some coach tours still have seats available and, of course, you can always travel there for the day and stay outside the city centre. You can also find out more about the festival itself on Ábaco’s website:

March is the month when our bi-annual magazine is published. In this edition you can read about the Valle del Jerte, how to choose your golf club in Spain and pick up some ideas for what to see and do in Orihuela Costa and Torrevieja. There are many more articles, of course, for you to enjoy in this free magazine, so look out for your copy:

ÁbacoClub Magazine

The Club’s organisers are also busy putting together ideas for events and activities this year. Make sure you keep informed about new opportunities from the Facebook page, website or your ÁbacoOnline account.

Although there is general information depending on whether you are coming from an EU country or outside the EU, many countries have their own individual factors that need addressing when it comes to moving abroad. For US citizens, David Ruiz provides advice about moving to Spain. He is informed by his own experience of living in America himself and the fact that he has helped countless numbers of people to make the move:

We’re re-visiting some of our favourite Spanish destinations to live and buy in. In this article, David Ruiz tells us about Altea in the Costa Blanca. He describes the attractions that are not to be missed and what you might see and do there. David provides an estimate of how much it might cost to buy or rent property and what you can expect in terms of the weather:

Living in Altea Spain: The Definitive Guide

Well, who’d have thought? Suddenly Torrevieja has more to offer than just salt, sea and sun. Now, it’s become a source of hope for a country facing water shortages. Torrevieja is host to Europe’s largest desalination plant and on a recent visit there, Pedro Sanchez (Prime Minister) made a commitment to the people of Spain to make sure there is sufficient water to drink and for the crops:

It’s no easy job these days for young people to buy their first home – whichever country they live in. Now, Spain is trying to give some a leg up with a new aid package intended to reduce the cost of a first home by 20%:

For Brits, there continues to be so many rumours about the need for visas, invitations, proof of your spending power etc. What will holidaymakers visiting Spain actually need to show, if anything? This article from Spanish News Today summarises what’s being talked about. However, the article points out that what’s listed here are suggestions more than legal requirements and in case you’re worrying the final paragraph states:

“As long as your passport is valid and has at least 3 months left on it from the date you plan to leave Spain, you should be okay to travel to Spain for your holidays.”

If you are interested in international and Spanish films then you might like to read this article in ThinkSpain about the winners of the 2024 Goya Awards. The Goyas are the Spanish equivalent of the Oscars and this year Sigourney Weaver played a starring role:

Goya Award for Ghostbuster Sigourney Weaver... and other winners for 2024

If you are interested in population statistics and trends then you might like to read this article. The article outlines the highlights from the National Statistics Institute (INE) that were published at the beginning of January:

As spring approaches what better way to celebrate the time of year than gazing on a valley of cherry blossoms. In this article, Idealista tells us about the beautiful Valle del Jerte and some of the festivals in the area that you might like to see:

In the 1970s and 1980s you were advised not to drink Spanish tap water. Now, in 2024, does the advice remain the same? In this article from Healthplan Magazine, they discuss the varying merits between drinking tap water, bottled water or having your water filtered:

The cost of electricity in Spain seems to have yo-yoed over the past few years. Now more changes have been announced that hopefully won’t leave us too out of pocket. This article suggests that consumers could benefit but we’ll just have to wait and see:

Electricity pricing upheaval in Spain

If you like a little Highway to Hell then you might be interested to hear that AC/DC are due to play in Seville on May 29th at Estadio de la Cartuja. It’s not clear yet how much the tickets will cost but as this is their only tour date at the moment, you might want to be ready at your keyboard to reserve yours. Euroweekly tells us more about their European tour:

AC/DC rocks Sevilla: Exclusive Spanish concert

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!