Tax help

Hi,

I have just had a letter from the hacienda in Torremolinos telling me I owe them 522 euros tax related to my declaración de la renta. I have always put my declaración in each year, and last year I was working for 6 months and receiving social security  for 6 months after my work contract ended - tax during the unemployed period is covered by the social and I was also on a proper contract while I was employed for the other 6 months. How can they now come up with a figure for €522??

I am seeing a gestoria (wish me luck on that one) on Wednesday morning, but can anyone explain please how this works?

Jane

Most people know about the problems I've had with Hacienda...and I really still don't understand what they are doing.

It's driven me crazy over the past few months and Hacienda has driven a friend of mine back to the UK after 23 years here!

Good luck sorting it out.

Justin

It´s the whole why why why? thing. If they gave you a logical explanation for why or how they have come up with a certain figure, we would all be a lot better off, but it is so bloody frustrating to just keep paying big wedges of money to an authority who won´t explain how  they have come up with the figure in the first place. I have always paid taxes, IBI and everything required of me in Spain and I am still asked for more. Equally frustrating is knowing a lot of friends and work colleagues who never did a tax declaration in their lives while working in Spain and have never had to pay a penny (when I say tax declaration I mean the declaracion de la renta). I would have been better off never becoming a resident all those years ago - now there´s another question - how can someone opt out of the Spanish residency system??  Thanks anyway Justin, Jane

You have hit the nail on the head!

Leaving aside all the legalities it's far easier to remain off the radar as they say!

It does seem to be they only give grief to those who submit returns and not to those who don't.

Sometimes files get passed from one desk/office to next and one desk is told collect an amount but not why etc so you have to go back to the office you submitted the return or deals with the tax in question to resolve etc.

The system is designed to keep the funcionarios in work and if you are going in person please respect their mid-morning breakfast time etc.

If you don't deal with it they will embargo your bank account and nick the money etc

Yes I know they will nick the money as they have nicked it before for a car I gave away ten years previously. I am going to see a gestor tomorrow who may, or may not help.  Thanks anyway. Jane

And what will happen next year if I don´t earn any money at all, just out of interest?? Will they still find a way to tax me on zero?