# quick IBI question



## rewdan (Feb 23, 2010)

Hi all, haven't posted for a while but I have been keeping an eye from a distance!
Anyway, my family and I have finally made the move to Spain. Sold up in the Uk etc but to avoid CGT complications we are going to travel Australia for the rest of the year.

After previous advice on here, I have sacked my fiscal representative here in Spain and carried out my own non resident return last december, a considerable saving!!

However, the IBI is due end of August and I have never paid it directly, it was always arranged by my fiscal representative. I will be down under when it's due this year, whats my easiest way to make sure it's paid?


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## gus-lopez (Jan 4, 2010)

Go down the council & do a 'domicilar de pago' basically a direct debit.


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

gus-lopez said:


> Go down the council & do a 'domicilar de pago' basically a direct debit.


Is there still time to do this for the 2015 bill, though, assuming (from his post) that Rewdan is not in Spain at the moment? He would need to come to Spain to do it at any rate, wouldn't he? 

Mine is paid by direct debit, and the money usually comes out of my bank account around the end of the first week of August.

If the bill wasn't paid by around mid September (dates tend to vary in different areas) a surcharge for late payment would be added, and if that happens you have to get an updated bill before you can pay it.


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

Around here, IBI isn't paid until October - so it does vary enormously.


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Emailing the Ayuntamiento would be the first step, explaining the situation. If they don't answer, you could ask your bank manager to set it up the direct debit for you (assuming you have a bank account in the town where you live). Failing that you can usually pay online, but in either case you will need the reference number from the bill. 

The late payment surcharge is only 5% or so (increasing over time), so it might be simplest just to wait till you get here.


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

If the bill has always been sent to the OH's fiscal representative previously, won't the first step need to be that he arranges for it to be issued to him from this year onwards?


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Lynn R said:


> If the bill has always been sent to the OH's fiscal representative previously, won't the first step need to be that he arranges for it to be issued to him from this year onwards?


They don't send bills, not where I live anyway. It's up to the householder to find out when payments are due, by checking the Ayuntamiento website. You only get a bill when it is _over_due.


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

Alcalaina said:


> They don't send bills, not where I live anyway. It's up to the householder to find out when payments are due, by checking the Ayuntamiento website. You only get a bill when it is _over_due.


Another example of how different things are in different areas - and even within the same autonomous region! I get a bill every year, even though I pay by direct debit. They don't send out new bills once they go overdue (as I know to my cost from when I was a non-resident owner). I started paying mine by direct debit because I was never here in August or early September so always had to go and request a new bill to include the surcharge before I could pay it.


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## rewdan (Feb 23, 2010)

I am in Spain at the moment so I will go and see them next week. Maybe have time to set up a direct debit or pay it there and then.


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

rewdan said:


> I am in Spain at the moment so I will go and see them next week. Maybe have time to set up a direct debit or pay it there and then.


You might also want to set up DDs for the other regular Ayuntamiento payments - water, rubbish collection, car tax etc. Easier to do them all at the same time even if they aren't due yet.


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

Alcalaina said:


> You might also want to set up DDs for the other regular Ayuntamiento payments - water, rubbish collection, car tax etc. Easier to do them all at the same time even if they aren't due yet.


Things are strange where you live. Water is not usually paid to the town hall as it's a utility like Electricity.


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

snikpoh said:


> Things are strange where you live. Water is not usually paid to the town hall as it's a utility like Electricity.


I think you'll find that the supply of water is the responsibility of local government right across Spain. Maybe where you live they have contracted it out to a third party?


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

Alcalaina said:


> I think you'll find that the supply of water is the responsibility of local government right across Spain. Maybe where you live they have contracted it out to a third party?


We pay our water bills to the local water company, Aqualia. Always have done ever since we bought the house.


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Lynn R said:


> We pay our water bills to the local water company, Aqualia. Always have done ever since we bought the house.


That would be a third party contract with the Ayto then. Water supply hasn't been privatised in Spain, unlike in the UK.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

snikpoh said:


> Things are strange where you live. Water is not usually paid to the town hall as it's a utility like Electricity.


our water company is owned & run by the ayuntamiento - we pay the company - but we can pay at the Oficina de Atención Ciudadana - which is a sort of one-stop-shop for anything ayto related


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## stevelin (Apr 25, 2009)

Ours in Alhaurin de la Torre is Aqualaura has a separate office but is run by the town hall. So when setting up DD for IBI also did car, water, rubbish etc at the same time


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

Alcalaina said:


> I think you'll find that the supply of water is the responsibility of local government right across Spain. Maybe where you live they have contracted it out to a third party?


You may well be correct (I don't know) but, if it is sub-contracted, then any DD's must be set up with that third party and not the town hall surely?


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

snikpoh said:


> You may well be correct (I don't know) but, if it is sub-contracted, then any DD's must be set up with that third party and not the town hall surely?


Sure, but if the OP is going to to Ayto to set up his DD for IBI etc, then they will tell him who the water is payable to if it's a third party.

It's different from electricity, which is all privatised now and you can choose your supplier.


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## rewdan (Feb 23, 2010)

My water is already paid by d/d as is electric. I handled the installation of the water myself 15 years ago, electric I took over from the previous owner when I bought the house. However, until last year the IBI, Basura and non resident taxes were all taken by my now sacked fiscal rep. So I need to go and get them sorted. I don't have a Spanish car, will probably import my UK car in January when I set up here for good . Just need to find the right office in town I guess, there are several!


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