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Non Resident rules for buying Spanish car

Posted: Wed Jul 21, 2021 8:53pm
17 replies702 views4 members subscribed
Angela001

Posts: 56

6 helpful points

Location: San Javier

Joined: 11 Feb 2021

Hi All, Apologies if this question has been asked many times before but can anyone please advise on the current ‘Non resident’ rules for buying a Spanish car as we are fed up paying inflated car hire prices!  We have a holiday home and pay the normal non resident taxes ( in case we let out our property out which we dont) and we have an NIE number. Would our tax status need to change (from non resident tax ) and would we need a spanish driving licence? I understand that as in UK MOT/Road Tax and Insurance are required but are there any other costs / regulations / loops to jump through that we may not be aware of? Many Thanks Angela

Roland

Posted: Wed Jul 21, 2021 10:07pm

Roland

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Posts: 3519

2581 helpful points

Location: Camposol

Joined: 23 Feb 2018

Posted: Wed Jul 21, 2021 10:07pm

Buying a Spanish registered car would not change your tax status.

You would not need a Spanish driving licence.

Mags44

Posted: Thu Jul 22, 2021 3:16am

Mags44

Very helpful member

Posts: 917

790 helpful points

Joined: 1 Sep 2019

Posted: Thu Jul 22, 2021 3:16am

Angela001 wrote on Wed Jul 21, 2021 8:53pm:

Hi All, Apologies if this question has been asked many times before but can anyone please advise on the current ‘Non resident’ rules for buying a Spanish car as we are fed up paying inflated car hire prices!  We have a holiday home and pay the normal non resident taxes ( in case we let o...

...ut our property out which we dont) and we have an NIE number. Would our tax status need to change (from non resident tax ) and would we need a spanish driving licence? I understand that as in UK MOT/Road Tax and Insurance are required but are there any other costs / regulations / loops to jump through that we may not be aware of? Many Thanks Angela

No to all of those questions! I've just completed on the sale of a second hand car to a non-resident British citizen and all he needed was a copy of his house deeds showing his name and the address of the property that he owns here and a copy of his NIE and passport.

Angela001

Posted: Thu Jul 22, 2021 9:04am

Angela001

Original Poster

Posts: 56

6 helpful points

Location: San Javier

Joined: 11 Feb 2021

Posted: Thu Jul 22, 2021 9:04am

Roland wrote on Wed Jul 21, 2021 10:07pm:

Buying a Spanish registered car would not change your tax status.

You would not need a Spanish driving licence.

Thanks Roland

Angela001

Posted: Thu Jul 22, 2021 9:08am

Angela001

Original Poster

Posts: 56

6 helpful points

Location: San Javier

Joined: 11 Feb 2021

Posted: Thu Jul 22, 2021 9:08am

Mags44 wrote on Thu Jul 22, 2021 3:16am:

No to all of those questions! I've just completed on the sale of a second hand car to a non-resident British citizen and all he needed was a copy of his house deeds showing his name and the address of the property that he owns here and a copy of his NIE and passport.

Thanks Mags

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eduardo3332

Posted: Thu Jul 22, 2021 3:14pm

eduardo3332

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Posts: 1570

1178 helpful points

Joined: 21 Jan 2016

Posted: Thu Jul 22, 2021 3:14pm

Roland wrote on Wed Jul 21, 2021 10:07pm:

Buying a Spanish registered car would not change your tax status.

You would not need a Spanish driving licence.

I am not completely confident of this answer but owning a Spanish registered vehicle would make you libel for the payment of Spanish Tax on this. Therefore  the tax office may say "you are a resident" I would advise you to or ask for advise from your gestor and not rely on an open forum. Although I belive it may not be a problem.

The tax system in some of the offices this country sometimes make up there own rules, I just received a tax demand for 6000 euros plus, sent to a property I sold in 2011.

Obviously I contested this and had an apology. 

eduardo3332

Posted: Thu Jul 22, 2021 3:15pm

eduardo3332

Super helpful member

Posts: 1570

1178 helpful points

Joined: 21 Jan 2016

Posted: Thu Jul 22, 2021 3:15pm

Roland wrote on Wed Jul 21, 2021 10:07pm:

Buying a Spanish registered car would not change your tax status.

You would not need a Spanish driving licence.

I am not completely confident of this answer but owning a Spanish registered vehicle would make you libel for the payment of Spanish Tax on this. Therefore  the tax office may say "you are a resident" I would advise you to or ask for advise from your gestor and not rely on an open forum. Although I belive it may not be a problem.

The tax system in some of the offices this country sometimes make up there own rules, I just received a tax demand for 6000 euros plus, sent to a property I sold in 2011.

Obviously I contested this and had an apology. 

Mags44

Posted: Thu Jul 22, 2021 5:09pm

Mags44

Very helpful member

Posts: 917

790 helpful points

Joined: 1 Sep 2019

Posted: Thu Jul 22, 2021 5:09pm

eduardo3332 wrote on Thu Jul 22, 2021 3:15pm:

I am not completely confident of this answer but owning a Spanish registered vehicle would make you libel for the payment of Spanish Tax on this. Therefore  the tax office may say "you are a resident" I would advise you to or ask for advise from your gestor and not rely on an open forum. Alt...

...hough I belive it may not be a problem.

The tax system in some of the offices this country sometimes make up there own rules, I just received a tax demand for 6000 euros plus, sent to a property I sold in 2011.

Obviously I contested this and had an apology. 

Yes, you are liable for the tax payable on the car, it's called the IVTM (impuesto sobre vehículos de tracción mecánica). Both my cars paid 38.40€ last year! Non-residents can buy cars as well as they can buy property - and they are not considered as residents when buying a property, if they are not resident. When the car title has been transferred to the new owner, the following January, the car will be registered in that person's municipio, along with his/her IBI payments. There are no other taxes for vehicles and they do not figure on your annual tax return.

eduardo3332

Posted: Thu Jul 22, 2021 7:18pm

eduardo3332

Super helpful member

Posts: 1570

1178 helpful points

Joined: 21 Jan 2016

Posted: Thu Jul 22, 2021 7:18pm

Mags44 wrote on Thu Jul 22, 2021 5:09pm:

Yes, you are liable for the tax payable on the car, it's called the IVTM (impuesto sobre vehículos de tracción mecánica). Both my cars paid 38.40€ last year! Non-residents can buy cars as well as they can buy property - and they are not considered as residents when buying a property, if they...

... are not resident. When the car title has been transferred to the new owner, the following January, the car will be registered in that person's municipio, along with his/her IBI payments. There are no other taxes for vehicles and they do not figure on your annual tax return.

I am fully aware of the tax law regarding vehicles and it is obvious you have to pay the IVTM I have been doing this for 20+years. 

Unfortunately over the years many people have been flying under the radar and the Hacienda in Murcia/Cartagena region, are very quick to pick up new registrations without checking the persons history.

PeterC

Posted: Mon Jul 26, 2021 7:04pm

PeterC

Super helpful member

Posts: 2233

1446 helpful points

Location: Los Alcázares

Joined: 10 Nov 2016

Posted: Mon Jul 26, 2021 7:04pm

“but owning a Spanish registered vehicle would make you libel for the payment of Spanish Tax ”

Sorry Eduardo but your paranoia is making you spout rubbish. You just pay the road tax.

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