# Casual employment for UK nationals (pre-31 Dec, 2020)



## LondonLady34 (Apr 1, 2015)

Hi all,

Apologies as I've tried to find a thread covering these questions but am doing a lot of digging without getting answers to them all so have started a new thread here. I hope that's okay.

As a UK citizen, before the 31 Dec 2020 transition period ends, *what do you need in order to work casually (i.e. for less than three months)* in Spain? Am I right in thinking *you would need some form of an employment contract and have to apply for a TIE*? (I haven't found a clear answer on whether you'd have to have the TIE in hand before beginning work.) 

On taxes, it seems you wouldn't need to file if you earn less than 22,000 euros (in case anyone can confirm).

Separately, I'm aware of the challenges in actually finding a job, especially in current times (although I do speak Spanish).

Thanks very much for any help you can give.


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## tebo53 (Sep 18, 2014)

With the extremely high unemployment rate in Spain at this time I would imagine that it will be virtually impossible to to find casual work. I would think any employer would expect you to be a fully legal resident of Spain and with healthcare cover. 

At this time because of the Covid problem and recovering from the lockdown and its associated problem many businesses are shedding staff at an alarming rate. You need to take your CV to the businesses you are interested in and sell your talents. Best of luck

Steve


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## MataMata (Nov 30, 2008)

Leaving aside the virtual impossibility of finding work in the first place I don't know where you've got a figure of €22,000 before tax from.

For the typical non working Brit tax kicks in at around €13,000 and while there may be a different thresholds for the employed for sure it won't be anything like €22,000!


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

LondonLady34 said:


> Hi all,
> 
> Apologies as I've tried to find a thread covering these questions but am doing a lot of digging without getting answers to them all so have started a new thread here. I hope that's okay.
> 
> ...


I don't understand the implications exactly, but the figure of 22.000€ comes from here.
https://www.agenciatributaria.es/AE...F/_Quien_tiene_obligacion_de_declarar__.shtml


However, if you want to get a rebate you'll need to declare.


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## Overandout (Nov 10, 2012)

To work in Spain as a British citizen you will need a TIE which states that you are a beneficiary of the withdraw agreement.
This means that you have to effectively get the TIE before 31st December.
The length of your contract is not relevant to this rule.

Usually "casual" work is not as you define it, but rather cash in hand with no contract, no tax and no social security, so be aware that if you are being offered casual work in Spain, your potential employer probably expects you to be illegally employed.
What you describe is a temporary contract which is the more usual way of employing workers in Spain as permanent jobs are virtually non-existent.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

LondonLady34 said:


> Hi all,
> 
> Apologies as I've tried to find a thread covering these questions but am doing a lot of digging without getting answers to them all so have started a new thread here. I hope that's okay.
> 
> ...


'Casual' work for British citizens wanting to come to Spain from Jan 1 2021 pretty much won't exist - not legally anyway. 

To work in Spain they will need a work visa, applied for by the company before the person can come to Spain. For such a visa to be issuerd, the company will have to prove to the govt that no EU citizen is available for the job.

This process can take time & potentially be costly. Can you see any company bothering to do that, for a casual worker? 

There are exceptions for fruit pickers & similar, wheer a special temporary & very specific visa is available.

As others have said, if you move here before the end of this year you can register for a TIE retaining EU rights.


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## MataMata (Nov 30, 2008)

Pesky Wesky said:


> I don't understand the implications exactly, but the figure of 22.000€ comes from here.
> https://www.agenciatributaria.es/AE...F/_Quien_tiene_obligacion_de_declarar__.shtml


I think you may be misreading that (and the translation doesn't make much sense either) so perhaps someone with better Spanish than I can decode precisely what... 

22.000 

Un pagador (2º y restantes ≤ 1.500 euros anuales).
Prestaciones pasivas de dos o más pagadores cuyas retenciones hayan sido determinadas por la Agencia Tributaria.

14.000 

Más de un pagador (2º y restantes >1.500 euros anuales).
Pensiones compensatorias del cónyuge o anua- lidades por alimentos no exentas.
Pagador de los rendimientos no obligado a retener.
Rendimientos sujetos a tipo fijo de retención. 

...really means?

I think it's the difference between being taxed as a couple or two singles but in neither case does it mean that an individual can earn €22,000 before paying tax, oh that it did!


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

MataMata said:


> I think you may be misreading that (and the translation doesn't make much sense either) so perhaps someone with better Spanish than I can decode precisely what...
> 
> 22.000
> 
> ...


I didn't misread it - I don't understand it all, it's just where that figure comes up. I don't do my taxes myself - for obvious reasons


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## Catalunya22 (Apr 25, 2020)

I think it means that you don´t have to do a tax return unless you earn more than 22000 euros....I could be wrong though.
Of course if you are self-employed you WILL have to do a return.


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## LondonLady34 (Apr 1, 2015)

Thank you all for your thoughts! Much appreciated.


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## MataMata (Nov 30, 2008)

Catalunya22 said:


> I think it means that you don´t have to do a tax return unless you earn more than 22000 euros....I could be wrong though.


That doesn't stand to reason when the tax threshold for non employed and retirees is ~€13 or ~€14,000 (*), it would be perverse for employed people to have a threshold of anything approaching €22,000.

*Regardless of income everybody needs to do an initial tax return, after that if you're under 65 then you are not liable for tax if your income is less than €13115, over 65 the tax free amount is €14265, and if you're under those figures then you don't need to do another tax return.

As I said earlier I think the figure of €22,000 is likely to be the tax allowance for a couple submitting a joint return and is why for the majority individual returns will be more beneficial.


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## Catalunya22 (Apr 25, 2020)

Thanks Matamata...That´s really helpful info.


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

MataMata said:


> That doesn't stand to reason when the tax threshold for non employed and retirees is ~€13 or ~€14,000 (*), it would be perverse for employed people to have a threshold of anything approaching €22,000.
> 
> *Regardless of income everybody needs to do an initial tax return, after that if you're under 65 then you are not liable for tax if your income is less than €13115, over 65 the tax free amount is €14265, and if you're under those figures then you don't need to do another tax return.
> 
> As I said earlier I think the figure of €22,000 is likely to be the tax allowance for a couple submitting a joint return and is why for the majority individual returns will be more beneficial.


Not sure where you got this information but the personal threshold is a lot lower than €13,115. In 2018 it was €5,550 for under-65s and the budget which was going to raise it never got passed because of the political stalemate.


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

Alcalaina said:


> Not sure where you got this information but the personal threshold is a lot lower than €13,115. In 2018 it was €5,550 for under-65s and the budget which was going to raise it never got passed because of the political stalemate.


Not so - first of all you are forgetting about the €2k general allowance against earned income (which includes pensions) and there is also the low income allowance which was introduced by Rajoy's Government and then the threshold was increased quite substantially after that.

https://www.agenciatributaria.es/AE...or_obtencion_de_rendimientos_del_trabajo.html

https://www.abc.es/economia/abci-si...-bajada-irpf-nomina-201807211125_noticia.html

The thing about people whose income is from only one source not needing to submit a tax return if their earnings are below €22k relates only to people in employment, by the way, who will have had retenciones deducted by their employers. It doesn't apply to pension income.


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## bandit1250sa (Aug 18, 2020)

are local government pensions taken into account regarding thresholds?


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Lynn R said:


> Not so - first of all you are forgetting about the €2k general allowance against earned income (which includes pensions) and there is also the low income allowance which was introduced by Rajoy's Government and then the threshold was increased quite substantially after that.
> 
> https://www.agenciatributaria.es/AE...or_obtencion_de_rendimientos_del_trabajo.html
> 
> ...


Thanks. It's so complicated isn't it! I just hand everything over to the gestor and pay what he says I owe, can't be bothered to work it all out myself.


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

bandit1250sa said:


> are local government pensions taken into account regarding thresholds?


You have to declare your Local Government pension on your Spanish tax return, but in a separate box for "renta exenta" (ie exempt income). If you have more income from other sources, ie a state pension, other non Government pensions etc. which use up the personal allowances, then your Local Government pension is taken into account and whilst not taxed in Spain directly, it can affect the rate of tax you pay on your other income.


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