Spanish tax authorities are looking for (partly) illegal homes! Source: deweek

MADRID – 11-2014

Pour nos amis Francophones

Voor de Vlamingen en Nederlanders

The Spanish tax authorities have deployed helicopters to scour the country for at homes where illegal extensions have been added. The purpose of the operation is to identify illegal appreciation of homes.

The Spanish land registry must be brought into line with reality. With special recording equipment the helicopters search for homes.. where illegal extensions are added.

They may be swimming pools, garages, sheds, patios or obturating roof terraces.

This  generally increases the property value and therefore  the owner should pay additional property taxes. Many home owners are negligent hence the Spanish municipalities miss out on  a lot of money that otherwise would enter in the form of property taxes (in Spanish aka 181).

So far the ' Hacienda ' helicopters covered approximately 1,000 municipalities, representing 12.5 percent of the total number of municipalities in Spain.

Initially large residential areas are checked, especially those along the Spanish coasts. When the detection squad pinpoints abuses a file is opened.

The relevant property owner will receive a letter and must immediately pay a fine of 60 euro for non-declaration of a structure. It is estimated that up to 2016 over 3 million households will have to pay this amount. That means the Spanish Government can cash 180 million euro extra.

This appreciation of the 181 results in an  surcharge for the owner, retroactively 4 years,  with added interest on top.

People against whom a procedure is opened have 15 days to lodge an objection against this opinion. When the tax office hears nothing, then it is assumed that the owner fully agrees with the judgment of the Spanish authorities.

Better be save then sorry – courtesy of El Premio