Due to sheer volume of questions, complaints and exclaims of absolute shock, this article will discuss the increase of traffic fines issued over recent months. Even though some of them seem like pretty obvious offences, people fall for them time and time again either out of unfortunate timing, lapse in attention or simply not knowing they were breaking any regulations. It won’t come as a surprise to know that approximately 50% of all fines issued are for speeding but take a look at the Top Ten ridiculous traffic fines to be avoided:
Property rental is a booming business on the island with many people subsidising their income by renting out any additional properties they may own, however, as with most matters, there are many legalities that the majority are not aware of and we are going to tackle one that is almost unheard of. Even though most contracts are drafted on regular A4 paper, some of you may have noticed upon signing your contract that stamped paper has been used but may not have really questioned the reason why.
A new mandate has been issued by banks in line with Law 10/2010 on the prevention of money laundering and financing of terrorism. This law requires banks to hold copies of their customers valid and in-date ID on-file and to contact any customer with an incomplete file so that a copy of the relevant documents can be promptly provided. Banks must contact the affected customers via letter, email or SMS but if you do not receive notification, it means the bank is already in possession of your details, even so, it may be a good idea to double check your status just in case.
The accounts of any customer who does not submit their paperwork on time will be deactivated on the 1st May 2015 rendering any credit and debit cards inoperable and preventing access to online banking systems. However, if the necessary details are made available within three months from the 30th April, the account can easily be reactivated. After this period, things will become more complicated because the account will form part of the banks’ Memorandum Accounts but that does not mean the loss of the balance that existed at the time of closure.
It is that time of year again when our attention turns to the dreaded personal income tax return otherwise known “fondly” here as Declaración de IRPF, Declaración de la renta or simply Renta. For some it is a joyous occasion to get money back from the state (how often does that happen?) but for those who perhaps had a particularly good year, it can be a nail biting moment as they discover how much more money they have to pay the tax office. Either way, for the majority, it is a yearly obligation so here are a few titbits on how the Renta works in Spain.
In recent weeks I have received quite a few enquiries both directly and by means of local forums about the obligation to obtain a Spanish drivers license. There is still a lot of confusing surrounding the topic as the information that has been provided by the authorities and the correct understanding of the law that governs renewals has been conflicted up until now. Hopefully, this brief article will clear up any doubts you may have.
