Spain steps up border checks in Gibraltar

Far from easing up on the border controls that cause long lines of traffic at the border between Gibraltar and Spain, the Spanish government is planning on increasing them.

The Office for Diplomatic Information claims in a press release that “Britain has not adopted the necessary measures to fight smuggling” and that, “unfortunately, cooperation by Gibraltarian authorities, far from improving, appears to be regressing.”

Seizures of smuggled cigarettes at the border of the disputed British territory grew 213 percent between 2010 and 2013, reaching close to a million, according to the Spanish Foreign Ministry. In the first two months of 2014, Spanish police found 137,815 cartons inside vehicles crossing the border into La Línea de la Concepción (Cádiz).

“Given the gravity of the situation, controls will be intensified when deemed relevant,” reads the note, which was released on Friday, a day after a six-month EU deadline expired asking Madrid and London to cooperate in the fight against tobacco smuggling and traffic jams at what is known as La Verja (literally, the gate).

Meanwhile, the government of Gibraltar issued its own note on May 15 claiming that its work to implement the EU’s recommendations was nearly done, while Spain had barely begun

“It is obvious that if Spain had put the recommendations into practice, there would have been an appreciable improvement in border traffic,” read that release.
The British minister for Europe, David Lidington, went further, saying that “disproportionate and politically motivated searches continue to cause great difficulties” for Gibraltarians and Spaniards living in the area. He added that London will keep up diplomatic pressure against Spain “until the border controls return to reasonable, proportionate levels.”

According to the government of Gibraltar’s Chief Minister Fabian Picardo, in March the maximum average waiting time to enter Gibraltar was 63 minutes, and 91 minutes to exit. It was the same in February. On days when Real Madrid or Barça are playing a soccer match, the lines magically disappear, authorities from The Rock say

Meanwhile, both London and Madrid claim they have followed EU recommendations.

David Lorenzo-Spanish Lawyer UK                                       
Spanish Law | Birchall Blackburn
dxlorenzo@birchallblackburn.co.uk
www.spanishlawintheuk.co.uk

THE INHERITANCE TAX IN SPAIN

The inheritance tax levied on capital gains obtained through inheritance by individuals.

Let's analyze the general scheme. In some Autonomous Regions  there is much more favorable tax regime (inherit is much cheaper) than in the rest of Spain. The criterion for the application of this scheme is the residence of that dies during a specified period in the territory. But for UK residents with properties in Spain will apply the general scheme.

Who pays: the tax is paid each receiving something in the estate.

The amount of tax depends on several factors:

• The value of the property received by: the scale is progressive, that is, the percentage paid is greater the higher is the value of heritage.
• The relationship to the deceased: the more distant is the relationship, the higher the percentage you pay for. In addition, depending on the relationship there are certain initial quantities (which are revised every year) who pay nothing. This means that there is a minimum exemption depends on the closeness of kinship.
• The previous heritage from which it inherits: if the inheriting is an important pre-fixed assets in tax-law also is more expensive inherit.
• There is moreover pay less tax inheritances, with certain conditions, such as the family business or the family home if the heirs are the spouse and children.
  
  

The instance must be present before the Tax Office to pay the tax no later than 6 months after the death. If that deadline passes, the Treasury charges the corresponding penalty.

The deed of partition is a tax return, you just have to submit it to the Tax Office, without documents. In the Inheritance Tax is not required to do a self-assessment (although it is allowed), i.e. only you submit the data, and Tax Office calculates and communicates the amount to be paid.

As you can see, always are facilities to pay!!

David Lorenzo |                                     
Foreign Law | Birchall Blackburn
dxlorenzo@birchallblackburn.co.uk
www.spanishlawintheuk.co.uk                                                                                    www.spanishpropertiesintheuk.co.