Costa Blanca News | Carta al director (Marion Woods)

Dear editor,

I read your front page article on tax evaders and I am very glad they are hunting down the black money, particularly among Brits who earn more money cleaning pools and villas than they receive in pensions.

But the Spanish tax office is missing out on millions of euros from early retirees and pensioners who are resident here but do not pay any income tax in Spain on their pensions and other incomes from the uk, including bank interest on savings.

Some plead ignorance which is unforgivable with all the information about, others flatly refuse to register in the Spanish system.

Even though some pensions are only taxable in the UK, such as government and military pensions, most receive other pensions on which the income tax is payable in Spain.

Their frequent excuse is that the income tax is deducted at source in the UK - well, you should then contact the office in the UK which deals with expatriate concerns and arrange for it to be paid gross of tax, so that you can pay it in Spain.

Unless you have a very complicated life, it is not hard to do.

These people have been getting away with it for years, usually the ones who say they love Spain so much that they will never go back tothe UK.

Why does the Spanish tax office ignore this ‘grey group', many of whom have huge pensions and could be swelling the coffers, especially in the present poor economic state.

Shouldn't be too hard to identify those eligible, NIE numbers, computers make it much easier than before.

Yes, I am a pensioner, and yes, I do pay my income tax here.

Fuente original