Sites where you can get handy tips on the practicalities of moving to Spain
Posted: 05 August 2015 02:13 PM  
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Hi All

My wife and I are thinking of moving to Spain but not sure where to get all the info from about the logistics of moving there.

Found this website which was quite useful—- http://typicalnonspanish.com/—- but otherwise looking for any suggestions

Hope to hear back from you guys,

Mark 😊

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Posted: 25 October 2015 06:35 PM   [ # 1 ]  
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Joined  2015-10-25

I think the most important thing to decide practicality wise is where to live (which region). The problem is, people and their web sites always tend to glowingly recommend where they are, as the best place. So, you really have to dig down and ask questions for advice / issues that you do not exist on the web site you cited.

For example, information relating to our life that you will never find easy advice on. We have two properties; 10 minutes drive from each other; one in Spain, one in Portugal. We are fiscally (tax) resident in Portugal, but I operate my business and we spend most of our leisure time in Spain (our children go to excellent private state subsidized schools in Spain, which we qualify for as EU residents). We did what we did for tax reasons, obviously. We are not rich, but why should the stinking rich be the only ones to legally avoid paying taxes. You may have heard of “Beckhams law” regarding how to avoid paying taxes in Spain; this law does not really exist as it did (only the shell) in Spain. But, Portugal has a similar (excellent) non-habitual tax regime (which is really Beckham’s law as it once was in Spain). So, for example, if you have a UK business still (as I also still do), you get declared non-resident by HMRC in the UK and pay yourself UK director dividends only, which the Portuguese do not tax if you are non-habitually resident in Portugal as taxation for dividends is the right of the UK tax authority, and if HMRC basically do not tax you as non-UK-residents, then neither do the Portuguese). So, you need to say / realize what your motivations and aspirations are, and dig down to find the advice you need; such advice will not spring up and hit you easily. Moving to another country should be complicated in order to get it right and more.

BTW We love Galicia; the fresh Atlantic air, the superb seafood, the great people.

I hope this helps.

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