It’s an important detail to be aware of – there is no automatic transfer of property even between spouses and so it is important to be prepared. If you wish to buy, sell, inherit, donate or remove a co-owner from the Title Deed, you will need to have the transfer authorised by a Notary. As with most legal processes, we advise using professionals for this purpose:

 
Legal advice in Spain, let the professionals help you

No one likes the idea of paying tax when transferring property you’ve worked long and hard for. There are ways, however, of reducing the amount you need to pay – through donation. This is a particularly important topic at the moment as the Spanish government is considering making changes to the way in which inheritance and donation tax is set.

Currently the level is established by the autonomous community you live in. A ‘armonización fiscal’ which would bring communities in line with each other, may mean that people transferring property in more ‘generous’ areas might find themselves taxed more in the future. A good reason for considering donating your property now:

The deadline for making a Spanish tax return is 30th June. Almost all residents in Spain are required to declare their income before this date. Income includes any rental payments you receive, income from work, a pension or investments. It also includes any capital gains you have made in the previous tax year which, for this year, runs from 1st January 2020 to 31st December 2020. For more information:

One of the aims of the Ábaco Club is to introduce its members to new places and activities in Spain. Having bought a property here we want you to enjoy it. We know that’s not been easy over the past year or so. However, now with countries opening up a little and people able to move between regions, it’s a good time to explore.

The ‘hidden gem’ we want to introduce to you this time is Chelva. Set in the beautiful Valencian countryside there are lots of opportunities for walking and hiking and the town itself offers four distinct districts with different cultural influences. It’s well worth a visit:

We also know that many of our ÁbacoClub members are avid readers. In this article we introduce you to a little bit of the background surrounding the legend that is Don Quijote. There are many fascinating facts surrounding this fictional character created by Miguel de Cervantes in the 16th century. Not least, is Cervantes’ own story of living with pirates, his brushes with the law and, of course, his literary career. If the legend inspires you, why not take up your own Cervantes trail, we hope to wet your appetite with this article:

Think you know about Benidorm? Most people are aware of a certain image that accompanies this ‘Mediterranean New York’ but there are many sides to Benidorm that remain less well-known. Like many tourist cities, it does have an old quarter that dates back to when it was a small fishing village. Read more about its weather, its beaches and what there is to visit in this article by David Ruiz:

He also provides advice on house prices there.

Isolation, lockdown and changes to administrative organisations in Spain have meant that many people have needed to find alternative methods of completing their paperwork. Doing official matters from home really makes sense but how do you go about doing it? This article from The Local explains about the Cl@ve system and how you can use it:

Before the pandemic, El País in English hosted a weekly podcast with interesting stories about current affairs in Spain. As lockdown took hold, the broadcasts were suspended. Now, we’re pleased to announce that they are back again. For information about how to access the podcast and a summary of the latest news items covered, you can follow this link:

We might look towards local and national leadership, but there are many things that we can do ourselves to improve our environment and local living conditions. In this article, The Olive Press tells us about how the community in the El Raso Urbanisation in Guardamar has been actively working together to make improvements and formally register their activities:

Following the past years of disruption to normal living it is time for everyone to make their new plans and this includes local and national government. Spain’s Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, has presented a plan for España 2050. El País in English summarises the 675 page document and give us a feel for what the current government is proposing. Many of the measures reflect the fact that we are experiencing a demographic change with an increase in the number of elderly people:

As Spain opens up again there are increasing opportunities to take those excursions and begin to explore further than your own back yard. Where to begin? Everyone will have their preferred source of information about local events but one good source is the Eurotourguide website. Alongside their own tours they have a calendar of events that includes market opening days, public holidays and some local activities that you can access free of charge:

Jessica and David were also seen recently celebrating Elche Football Club’s continued presence in the top Spanish league:

Facebook | Euro Tour Guide

If you are looking for an event in July, how about trying out the Cartagena Mar de Musicas? It’s currently planned for Friday 16th July until Saturday 24th and there are several performances each night. Eurotourguide provide more information on their website:

Education in Spain

The estate agents and property developers ‘Leddy homes’ are putting together their advice on moving to Spain. They’re planning to include lots of different topics that should be of interest to those thinking of relocating. This is the first one in the series
About education in Spain: 

Money Saver Spain have published their advice to get you started. If you do want to make a significant investment here then you will need to take more detailed advice. However, this provides an overview of some of the options available and is a good place to start:

You might already listen to Bay Radio but are you also aware that they provide news bulletins of the Spanish national news? Their latest headlines include information about the death of the last international brigade survivor from the Spanish Civil war and the calls for Spain to be included on the UK ‘Green list’:

Another way you can keep informed about what’s happening as things start to open again, is this website and Facebook page. The Costa Blanca Scene publishes information about local restaurants, bars and other facilities. You can find out about local events, shows and entertainment. If you’re ready to get out and about again, you might want to take a look:

A Prado curator shares some tips

In this article on Spain in English, we hear from Alejandro Vergara who is a curator of Flemish and Northern European Paintings at the Prado Museum. He explains something of keeping the Prado going virtually during lockdown and makes some suggestions about where you should visit if you go to Madrid – and the Prado in particular:

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!