We are now approaching the time of year when non-residents must present their tax return with the deadline being the 31st of December.

In this article we explain how you are required to pay an ‘income tax’ in Spain even if you do not live here:

Ábaco clients needn't worry though, our fiscal department has been working hard and are well on their way to completing all our clients tax declarations.

For more information about the process and what happens if you don’t pay:

ÁbacoClub would like to thank their members for their patience over this period whilst we have been unable to meet up due to the pandemic and the restrictions. We are going to relaunch our programme of activities and we will celebrate with a big event in November. We hope that you will be able to come. It will be a special day during which we will aim to enjoy ourselves and celebrate together. Watch out for the information which we will publish in Ábaco Online and on social media.

Don’t miss it!

Discovering Yecla
Have you heard of Yecla? It’s situated in Murcia province and is an inland town that might be perfect for you if you are looking for something away from the tourism of the coast and want to be based in a Spanish-speaking environment.

Olives, wine, cattle and cereal are all traded from here and the town itself nestles between some low mountain ranges. It’s steeped in history and has a special place in David Ruiz’ heart. Find out more about it from this article he has written: 

If you still have your UK driving licence and are a resident in Spain you have a little longer to change it over. The deadline of October 31st has been extended to December 31st. But don’t delay. This may be the third extension of the deadline but we have no guarantee of there being any more. This could be your last chance if you haven’t already taken steps to make the move over to a Spanish licence.

If you are a resident who still has their green residency certificate then it is recommended that you exchange it for the TIE card. In this article from Spain in English, they refer to the growing numbers of people who are doing this and the advantages that there are of having a TIE:

Anyone stopping by La Zenia beach at the weekend will have thought that they were visiting during the height of the summer. The beach was packed and parking spaces limited as it was evident that holiday makers were out for half-term week.

Airport statistics are also looking up, with Spain in English reporting positive figures and Alicante airport receiving the fifth highest volume of international travellers:

 

Spain got a pat on the back recently from the German television network Deutsche Welle who published an English-language video about the successful vaccination campaign that’s been implemented here. In this opinion piece from El País we’re also reminded about some other ‘trending’ discussions in which Spain took a lead:

It must be the season for them as we reported on the San Sebastian film festival in September. Now it’s the turn of Sitges to act as host to the film industry for this annual round of awards. This time the focus is on horror, which makes October the perfect month for the Festival internacional de Cinema Fantàstic de Catalunya.

Read the Guardian’s take on this unusual celebration of all things gory:

How do the Spanish celebrate Hallowe’en?

To begin with, many Spanish people have thoroughly embraced Hallowe’en even though it’s not a traditional event for the country. The key factor is probably the opportunity to dress up.

As a rule, Spanish people love dressing up, decorating and generally celebrating something. Hallowe’en is perfect for this and before the 31st October you’ll see the shelves full of appropriately ‘creepy’ outfits. This article is a fascinating account of the spread of Hallowe’en and also the celebration of La Castanyada. Did you know where the legend of Jack O’Lantern came from?

Día de los Muertos

Around the 1st and 2nd November families in Mexico welcome back the spirit of the deceased and celebrate them. This festival is actually one of those recognised by UNESCO as being of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. It is colourful, vibrant and steeped in symbolism. In this article, the National Geographic draw our attention to the ‘Top 10 things’ we should know about this life affirming annual festival:

Festival calendar, local events and more

November 1st is a national holiday in Spain. It’s the day when families remember those who have died that were close to them and perhaps visit the cemetery or just celebrate them in their own homes.

It’s one of the many national holidays that foreigners who visit Spain and live here might not be expecting. If you live in Torrevieja and are confused about the national, regional and local holidays and when the shops are open and closed then you might find this calendar useful:

Torrevieja 2022 bank holiday calendar

You can also find out information about local events and there are some handy reminders:

Fascinating Spanish Products

There’s even a section on Spanish legends:

Stories and Fascinating Legends

Take your time to browse and discover the subjects of most interest to you:

Alicante to London in 24 hours?

At least according to The Olive Press. The rumour is that RENFE, Spain’s rail network, are planning to deliver a service linking London and Paris in competition with Eurostar.

Of course, we’d like it to extend a little further south, down to the Costa Blanca too. The Olive Press speculate that with some joined up thinking we could have a route that would take us from Alicante to London in less than 24 hours! We shall see.

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!