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The Curmudgeon

The curmudgeon is a miserable sod. He likes to have a moan. He tackles subjects which many foreigners living in Spain agree with but are too polite to say anything.

The Tax Man, Spanish Banks and the Policia Local
Wednesday, October 19, 2022 @ 11:26 AM

The Curmudgeon, despite his nickname, is a pretty positive guy. Despite the many challenges of living as a foreigner in Spain, he wouldn’t live anywhere else. But three things, or bodies, really get on his wick. He explains why ….

 

What is the matter with these people? Tax inspectors, bankers and local bobbies manage to annoy most of us, Spaniards as well as foreigners.

 

The Tax Man

Take the Agencia Tributaria, aka Hacienda, equivalent to the British Inland Revenue, for example. Why are they so stupid? Is it because they are funcionarios (ie job for life, no matter how incompetent, inefficient or rude they are)?

For the last four years I have received a letter from them accusing me of not paying tax on my UK private pension. I have to prove that I have already paid tax on this pension, which is a public sector one, whereby tax is paid in the UK, wherever you live. Spain accepts this, but I have to prove it every year. Why was the first time not sufficient?

I know of British residents in Spain who end up paying tax twice on these hard-earned pensions, simply because they do not know how to sort it out. My answer is use a gestor. However good you might be at Spanish (and I am fluent) you need an expert. The Spanish use gestores all the time. Why not? They know what they’re doing and they are not expensive. Mine does my tax return every year for 50 euros.

But the fact that there is a solution out there, doesn’t negate the fact that the staff of the Agencia Tributaria must be stupid or incompetent.

 

Spanish Banks

Most holders of Spanish bank accounts have a grievance or several. These organisations, which are making vast profits, are closing branches left right and centre and trying to shift us all to digital or telephone banking.

One of the things I always used to like about Spanish banks (I’ve been an accountholder for nearly 25 years) was the number of branches and the accessibility of a physical person to speak to, often the manager him or herself.

Unicaja, when it was a regional caja de ahorros (savings bank), is a case in point. An amalgam of small provincial savings banks in Andalucía, there were branches everywhere and the staff were friendly and helpful.

Since they’ve become a bank, buying up Liberbank and becoming the fifth largest bank in all of Spain, they don’t seem to care any longer.

Their strategy seems to be to make as much profit as possible, close as many branches as possible, charge more for their services and cut back on those very services. For example, removing foreign language options for their many foreign customers. English is still available, but German has been cut back so that my German wife can no longer work comfortably in her mother tongue online.

Other banks are no better. Most have tightened their conditions for free banking. I had always enjoyed free banking with Unicaja and my other bank BancSabadell. Unicaja started to charge me, after I had been a loyal customer for 20 years, because I no longer met all of their (changed) pre-requisites. They refused to budge so I closed my account and moved to CaixaBank where I have free banking again.

I was delighted with BancSabadell for years, enjoying access to the manager, Carlos, whenever I needed it without the need to apply for a cita previa.

Then, overnight, they closed the only branch in the town where I live, without informing us, other than via a sheet of A4 stuck to the window of the branch. The nearest branch is now over an hour away by car.

Carlos assured me the service would continue to be available on the phone and they were going to maintain the cajero (cash machine) in my town. Within six months that too was closed and removed. And Carlos never answered nor returned my calls.

I have closed my account.

CaixaBank is good and banking is free. You also get a free RENFE railcard if you are over 65. One disappointment is that the branch I use, in a village with 980 residents and no other bank (Unicaja closed their office years ago), CaixaBank has reduced the opening hours to just three days a week. The cajero works though and there are two other branches in nearby Ronda.

Fellow EyeOnSpain blogger Pablo de Ronda carried out an analysis of the main Spanish banks last autumn. Click here to read his report.

 

Policía Local

Why are these jumped-up jobsworths so intransigent and inflexible? Everybody hates them. They’re like traffic wardens in the UK, dishing out parking fines left, right and centre. And the fine is not cheap. An eye-watering 200€ a time (100€ if you pay up sharpish).

I was carrying out a house renovation in a tiny narrow-streeted, Moorish mountain village and needed to park “illegally” for short periods to unload materials and to load rubbish. This is allowed. Despite this, the local fuzz fined me five times in 2021 alone!

Once while my workers were unloading sacks of cement, sand, bricks and other materials. They actually stood there writing out the ticket. When I appealed to the agentes to use a bit of common sense they refused. I was going to protest in writing, but I was advised by many, including my gestor, to just pay up. If I had protested, I would have forfeited my right to the 50% discount for paying quickly. And, as everybody said, you never win against the police.

On the last occasion I received a parking ticket, I adopted a new strategy – I just ignored it. That was nearly a year ago and nothing has happened.

I was also fined twice in Ronda and once in Estepona, although the Estepona one never arrived.

I have just been denunciado by the local police of another village for depositing small sacks of building rubble in several rubbish containers. That’s fair enough. I knew it was wrong, so it’s a fair cop.

Nevertheless, overall, I find the inflexibility of the Policía Local way over-the-top.

And don’t get me started on Guardia Civil Tráfico …..!!!

***

OK, rant over for today. But you can be absolutely sure that none of these people will be getting a Christmas card from The Curmudgeon.



Like 3




15 Comments


grapow said:
Saturday, October 22, 2022 @ 8:38 AM

What an inaccurate picture you paint! We are in our 23rd year with Bankinter without problems and the local police in Dénia where we live are excellent. Far more like public servants than the portrait your article gives.


PablodeRonda said:
Saturday, October 22, 2022 @ 10:15 AM

All I can say is that you are fortunate. If I may defend The Curmudgeon, he has only reported his experience at the hands of these three "organisations"; that does not make his article inaccurate.
Perhaps up there in the north east the bobbies are nicer than the ones here in the deep south!


jamiemalone said:
Saturday, October 22, 2022 @ 10:33 AM

I totally agree with everything you say and I actually think you are being kind!!!!!!!!!!!!


Colin Davies said:
Saturday, October 22, 2022 @ 10:42 AM

Ditto to Pablo and Jamie, after 21 years. I have actually thought about moving to Denia . . . .


StubboCastalla said:
Saturday, October 22, 2022 @ 10:52 AM

I favour the remarks of grapow in this case regarding excellent service from staff in the local bank and curteous service from the police. I park and drive my car correctly and unsurprisingly I dont have any contact with any of the police agencies regarding traffic issues. I do agree with the comments regarding the greed within the banks and head office mentality. I too have a government pension and with the help of a gestor I've had no issues at all.


Pasha01 said:
Saturday, October 22, 2022 @ 11:30 AM

Totally agree.
I know lots of people are now using Wise banking as they are fed up about all the high bank charges.
The Banks just don't seem to understand its our money thay are holding, which provides their existence and jobs.


Mike said:
Saturday, October 22, 2022 @ 12:39 PM

We have had exactly the same experience with Hacienda.
Both my wife and I have had threatening letters about our teachers’ pensions from the UK even though they KNOW they are taxed at source.
Our asesor has sorted it out all 4 times but it is costing a couple of hundred euros each time! Interesting that, like you, it has been the last 4 years in a row!


KATHLEEN GREENE said:
Saturday, October 22, 2022 @ 12:51 PM

I am just wondering why you have bought a WISE card? You say to transfer your UK state pension. Why not just have your pension transfered from the government, this way you get a much better rate??



Pasha01 said:
Saturday, October 22, 2022 @ 3:46 PM

I haven't bought a wise card. They are free if you have an account. I don't live full time in Spain. It was just a general comment about Spanish banks.


Lagalesa said:
Saturday, October 22, 2022 @ 5:00 PM

Caixa+ free banking? We are trying to close our account because of the extortionate charges!!

However, very happy with Wise and BBVA online accounts.



Lagalesa said:
Saturday, October 22, 2022 @ 5:03 PM

As for policia local - our revolutionary pueblo in Andalucia opted to not have any police of any type....so have not had the pleasure (or otherwise!) Dealings with the Guardia Civil elsewhere has been very friendly and helpful.



PablodeRonda said:
Saturday, October 22, 2022 @ 10:22 PM

Blimey! Didn't expect such a reaction. obviously we all have different experiences.
Just to react to some of the comments:
I did an analysis of the banks after Unicaja decided that they no longer needed my business. i switched to CaixaBank because it was easier to meet their prerequisites for free banking.
Re the government pension question I find it ridiculous that i have to prove the same thing year after year at my cost (gestor's fee).
Re policia local, I have to confess that we are now best mates. They haven't fined me once this year so far. They even come and knock on my door to advise me that if i don't move my car sharpish they will fine me! Progress or what!


Richard Sweeting said:
Monday, October 24, 2022 @ 1:28 PM

Hacienda - nothing positive and nothing negative

La Caixa - I have banked with them for many years. No major issues except for having closed my local branch office and I have never seen a RENFE card.

Policia Local - Judging by the way that they hand out tickets and fines, I think that they must work on a commission basis.....


John said:
Monday, October 24, 2022 @ 7:00 PM

Richard, in some councils Police do indeed work on a commission, not necessarily financial, but if you want to get to the top or that promotion .....


The Curmudgeon said:
Tuesday, October 25, 2022 @ 9:28 AM

Hi Richard
For the free RENFE railcard, you have to be over 60. I thought the same about commission but the municipales themselves deny it and so do their employers, the mayor's.


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