# Only in Spain (car related) ...



## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

Here's a good one ...

A friend recently sold his Spanish vehicle. He used an abogado to do things correctly who mentioned that, as it was only March, he could claim back 9/12 ths of the car tax.

They duly wrote to the town hall asking for this refund. Today they got a reply.

Paraphrasing, they said;

"Whilst we agree that it is legally correct to request (and be given) a rebate, we don't do this. If you want to get this rebate, then you will have to take us to court!"

How mad is that. Our friend has asked the abogado to write to the mayor and complain.


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## larryzx (Jul 2, 2014)

Along similar lines.

When I sold a property in a February, some years ago, the buyer agreed to refund the percentage of the IBI which I had paid for the year, However, subsequently his solicitor said the owner on 1st January was legally responsible for IBI for the whole year. The buyer, crying crocodile tears, said he could not go against his solicitor’s advice.


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## Pazcat (Mar 24, 2010)

I would say unbelievable but sadly it's only too believable.


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

That's why you need (a) a sense of humour and (b) infinite patience to deal with Spanish bureaucracy.

Our local taxes have been paid by direct debit since 2008. On Tuesday we got a bill for the first quarter's water rates (€12). I checked my bank account and it hadn't been paid, but all the others had.

So off we go to the office to sort it out, only to find it's on "summer hours" - only open Mon, Wed and Fri between 9 am and 1 pm.

Went back today at about 9.15, no-one there. She'd gone for breakfast. Meanwhile the queue was building up.

At 9.30 she returned. We showed her the bill and she confirmed it hadn't been paid, then noticed the NIE number on the bill was wrong - an X had mysteriously come a W - so the direct debit didn't go through. So how on earth could this have happened? Resigned shrug - ni idea.

She put it on her to-do list to sort out, and printed off a sheet so we could pay it at the bank. Walked across the square to the bank. Waited in queue. 

Sorry, you can only pay ayuntamiento bills between 8.30 and 10.30 on Tuesdays and Thursdays, because that's when they switch the system on. Come back next week ... :deadhorse:


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## Horlics (Sep 27, 2011)

My car tax is 15 Euros for the year, do people really bother getting round to chasing such small amounts or can the tax be at a level where it's worth the effort?

I'd rather the town hall didn't spend time and money processing requests for small amounts. 

Having lived in the UK for a long time I hold the view that the Public Sector is full of overpaid loafers who aren't very good at what they do, so the less we ask of them the better, and the fewer there will be. I really must try to shake that view.


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## extranjero (Nov 16, 2012)

Alcalaina- how much do you use- a bucketful per quarter?
Horlick-what do you drive, pedal car?
I must be living in the wrong region, water bill for 2 months 60 euros, car tax 113 euros


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

snikpoh said:


> Here's a good one ...
> 
> A friend recently sold his Spanish vehicle. He used an abogado to do things correctly who mentioned that, as it was only March, he could claim back 9/12 ths of the car tax.
> 
> ...


I don't know where that abogado got his ideas from (maybe he was Brit) but whoever owns the vehicle at the 1st January is the person who is responsible for paying the car tax for the whole year even if he/she sells the vehicle on the 2nd January. Likewise the IBI. Obviously if it is agreed between vendor and purchaser in either case, the price being paid can reflect the fact that the amount has been paid.


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

baldilocks said:


> I don't know where that abogado got his ideas from (maybe he was Brit) but whoever owns the vehicle at the 1st January is the person who is responsible for paying the car tax for the whole year even if he/she sells the vehicle on the 2nd January. Likewise the IBI. Obviously if it is agreed between vendor and purchaser in either case, the price being paid can reflect the fact that the amount has been paid.


I dont think the (probably Brit) abogado is the point of the post. Its this bit from the town hall


> "Whilst we agree that it is legally correct to request (and be given) a rebate, we don't do this. If you want to get this rebate, then you will have to take us to court!"


 lol

Jo xxx


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

baldilocks said:


> I don't know where that abogado got his ideas from (maybe he was Brit) but whoever owns the vehicle at the 1st January is the person who is responsible for paying the car tax for the whole year even if he/she sells the vehicle on the 2nd January. Likewise the IBI. Obviously if it is agreed between vendor and purchaser in either case, the price being paid can reflect the fact that the amount has been paid.


Hmmm. No, the abogado is definitely Spanish and is often in court so certainly someone who knows the laws.

Anyway, the town hall confirmed that it is legal to get a refund (ish!).


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

snikpoh said:


> Hmmm. No, the abogado is definitely Spanish and is often in court so certainly someone who knows the laws.
> 
> Anyway, the town hall confirmed that it is legal to get a refund (ish!).


Maybe it's another of those things that depends on where you are.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

extranjero said:


> Alcalaina- how much do you use- a bucketful per quarter?
> Horlick-what do you drive, pedal car?
> I must be living in the wrong region, water bill for 2 months 60 euros, car tax 113 euros


My last quarter water bill was €315 but my car tax €99.
There are obviously significant regional variations.


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## Horlics (Sep 27, 2011)

Its engine size is just under 1 litre (Ford Fiesta Ecoboost 1.0). That's what it costs to tax a car of that size here. I was shocked too when I found out.

People kept telling me it was more expensive to live here than in the UK. That has not been my experience so far.



Horlics said:


> My car tax is 15 Euros for the year, do people really bother getting round to chasing such small amounts or can the tax be at a level where it's worth the effort?
> 
> I'd rather the town hall didn't spend time and money processing requests for small amounts.
> 
> Having lived in the UK for a long time I hold the view that the Public Sector is full of overpaid loafers who aren't very good at what they do, so the less we ask of them the better, and the fewer there will be. I really must try to shake that view.


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## larryzx (Jul 2, 2014)

mrypg9 said:


> my car tax €99.
> There are obviously significant regional variations.


Motor vehicle circulation tax is charged by the municipality where your vehicle is registered. Each town hall sets it's own rate.

The Charge for my 600 cc motorcycle and my 1.2 ltr turbocharged car are almost the same


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

extranjero said:


> Alcalaina- how much do you use- a bucketful per quarter?
> Horlick-what do you drive, pedal car?
> I must be living in the wrong region, water bill for 2 months 60 euros, car tax 113 euros


We use the normal amount for two adults in a house without a swimming pool. I also water my roof garden with a hose nearly every day. 

The prices are set locally and there are massive regional variations. I think Murcia is the most expensive.

Ambientum - Actualidad Medio Ambiente - As? var?a el precio del agua en Espa?a


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## larryzx (Jul 2, 2014)

We are a couple. (We have a couple of automatic watering systems for pot-plants on terrace, each of which runs for 2 mins a day).

Just checked my water bill, 3 months Mar/Apr/May consumption was 20 M3, bill 59.13 € (2.95€ per unit)

A friend who lives alone in same town, used 15 M3 in same period, bill 54.43 € (3.63 per unit)

The difference in unit price is because of the standard charge of 18.40€ for sewage

The charges for water/waste is determined by the Municipality (or the company which supplies the municipality)


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