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Levante Legal is a totally Independent firm of Spanish Lawyers, Tax Consultants & Community Administrators. We do not pay commissions to anyone, nor are we linked in with any other Company. You can therefore be assured that we are working solely in your best interests.
We employ English staff to interface with our clients, assuring you that not only do we speak your language, we understand your expectations.
From our offices in Cabo Roig and Murcia City we are able to offer our clients an unrivalled service, with explanations in plain English. Our front line staff, have extensive knowledge of Spanish Tax and legal matters and Community Administration, and are backed up by English speaking Spanish professionals who deal with all legal and fiscal matters.
Our policy is to provide an efficient and friendly, but individual service to all our clients, keeping them informed throughout the process.
As well as offering legal, fiscal and community services (conveyancing, wills, court actions, etc) we can help you obtain Residencia’s, N.I.E’s, and S.I.P cards. We can liaise with Social security, Hacienda, Trafico and other outside bodies on your behalf.
We strive to make our prices both competitive but realistic, whist giving a professional service.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank our existing clients who have recommended us to friends and family for their continuing support in making Levante Legal a successful, friendly and unique company.
We, at Levante Legal, offer special membership discounts for those of you that own a property in Spain, who may need Legal & Tax advice from time to time, but do no want to pay large amounts, each year, to retain services that you may not need to use.
For an annual fee of just €90 for a single person or €140 for a couple you can be protected with LEVANTE LEGAL MEMBERSHIP, and have full access to all the services we offer, giving you peace of mind in any situation.
Our team consists of English people who can deal with your initial enquiries, backed up by English speaking Spanish professionals. We really do speak your language.
LEVANTE LEGAL MEMBERSHIP offers you:Fiscal Representation for all Spanish taxes whether you are resident or Non-Resident :
FREE advice and guidance on all legal and tax matters.
20% off our standard fees for Court Actions.
Discounts on additional services (conveyancing, wills, inheritances, Residencia’s, N.I.E’s, S.I.P cards, etc.)
The possibility of appointments outside normal office hours if necessary.
24 Hours Emergency Call Center (+34 902 44 00 07).No fees for carrying out any day to day issues.Current information by E mail, of any change in legislation regarding non-residents or foreigners regulations when requested.
Priority and personal attention at all times in plain English
We at Levante Legal strongly recommend that you make a Spanish will, disposing of your assets in Spain to avoid time-consuming, and expensive legal problems for your heirs.The Will should be in Spanish and English, and needs to be signed in front of a Spanish notary to make it legal. If a foreigner dies in Spain without making a will, his estate could be distributed according to Spanish law.A separate will should be made to dispose of your assets outside of Spain. Once the will has been signed in front of the notary, a copy will be sent to the central registry in Madrid. The certification numbers of all wills are kept there to ensure a legal copy can always be found.As a foreigner, Spanish authorities will not make you dispose of your assets in the same way as a Spanish National (Spaniards must leave at least two-thirds of their estate to their children). You can leave your estate to whomever you choose, but it will be subject to inheritance tax. Inheritance tax is due after the first €16,000, and is set at 18%.However; this €16,000 exemption applies to each inheritor if they are a direct family member.For further information , contact the hotline on 0034 902 440 007
The most important decision you will have to make when purchasing a property in Spain will be to choose a totally independent Lawyer to handle the conveyancing for you.Many estate agents or builders will recommend a Lawyer to you, stating that the fees will be less. Be wary, if they are recommended by the seller, no doubt they will be working in the seller’s best interest, and not yours.Many solicitors will state that they are independent, but at Levante Legal, we are totally independent, and pay no commissions to anyone. We truly believe that this is the only way we can remain independent, and provide the best possible service to our clients.Most people will find buying a property in Spain a trouble free and exciting experience.We at Levante Legal will hold your hand all the way through the process, explaining everything to you in plain English and keeping you informed of how the purchase/sale is progressing.
This is a simple document which basically takes the property off the market, for a short period of time, to enable your Lawyer to do all the relevant checks to ensure that the property is legally registered and has no outstanding debts.The reservation fee is typically €3000-€6000, but sometimes can be as high as 10%.However, it is an important document, as it needs to include a statement that if the sale does not proceed because of a legal problem, your reservation fee will be refunded. If you decide not to proceed for any other reason, you will lose your deposit.
The purchase contract is the contract which will state who is to be liable for what charges and taxes at point of sale. Typically, these are around 10% of the purchase price.When purchasing a New Property, it is strongly advisable to get a bank guarantee for any money that is paid over to the Contractor. This will ensure, that should the developer go Bankrupt, or not finish the property; your money is safe to be reclaimed.Be very wary if you are asked to under-declare the property price at the notary, you may well save 7% of any under declaration now, but you will pay 18% capital gains tax on any profit should you decide to sell. Also, the Spanish Tax office is well aware of this practice and is currently reviewing properties which may have been under-declared. If they believe your property was under-declared, they will issue you with a tax bill (plus fines) for any amount of under-declaration.
This is the point of sale. All property sales in Spain have to be signed in front of a notary. The notary is a public official, and he is there to ensure that everything is officially noted and registered according to the Spanish Law.A very important decision to make when purchasing your property will be to decide who will be on the contract, and later on the title deeds to the property. This decision could affect any liability to inheritance tax for your heirs. For more information please see our section on Inheritance tax.
An N.I.E number is necessary for almost any transaction in Spain, such as paying taxes, or purchasing a property.It is used to identify you to the tax office, and will be used by your fiscal advisor when doing your tax returns.We at Levante Legal can obtain an N.I.E number for you, although it will be necessary for you to be present at the office when the paperwork is handed in
The residence card has now been replaced by the certificate of registration for E.U citizens only. It is a simple one page document which does not need to be renewed. However, it will need to be revoked, should you wish to return to your home country at a later stage. If you are non-E.U you will still have to apply for a Residence Card.The law states that if you have been resident in Spain for 6 months, you must either leave the Country or apply for a residence permit.There are certain tax advantages of being a resident in Spain. m If you are a resident, over the age of 65, and have lived in your home for more than 3 years, you will have no Capital gains tax to pay when you sell, no matter how large the profit. m If you are resident, and you sell your property, you will have no 3% retention. Also you do not have to pay your Capital gains tax until the following year. A non- resident must declare within 30 days. m Inheritance tax can be less, subject to you meeting certain criteria. m Spanish property owner’s imputed income tax does not apply to your main residence.If you wish to apply to be a Spanish Resident, please contact the helpline on 0034 902 440 007 for assistance
It is very important to know that when you buy a property in Spain, what the implications for inheritance tax will be. Because Spain has many autonomous regions, which have individual laws governing Inheritance Tax, it will depend on where the property is located, as well as other factors. However if you are non-resident, you will surely pay inheritance tax on anything over €16,000.The law in Spain dictates that anybody who owns property jointly with any other person (whether related or not), will be subject to the law regarding inheritance tax. Husband and wife still have to pay this tax, if the gain is over the threshold for inheritance tax purposes and they are non-resident.For residents there are a number of tax breaks depending on where you live. These may actually annul any liability for inheritance tax.Your Spanish will could help protect your heirs from large payments of inheritance tax, and you should talk to your solicitor when purchasing your property, as it can be beneficial to put your heirs on the deeds to the property when you go to the notary.For further information please do not hesitate to contact the helpline on 0034 902440007
Legally, you allowed to drive your English registered car in Spain for 6 months in any calendar year, without being obliged to register it on Spanish plates. After the expiry of the 6 months, it should be registered on Spanish plates.If you intend to export your car when you move permanently to Spain, you can also avoid any import duty, as long as you do it at the same time as you apply for your Residency certificate.It is also necessary to ensure that the relevant part of the log book is completed to state that the car has been permanently exported.We can arrange for your car to pass the necessary paperwork, present the same in the Traffic Department and then obtain the Spanish Registration plates.
You can buy a car on Spanish plates, as long as you meet one of the following criteria: 1. You hold an official residence permit. 2. You hold a title deed to a property you own in Spain. 3. You have a Padron certificate. 4. You have a rental contract of at least one year’s duration.Beware that it is not as easy to transfer a car into someone else’s name in Spain as it is in England, and also it can be costly.It is very important when selling a car, that you ensure all the paperwork is completed properly, as you will be liable for any fines, unpaid taxes or accidents that occur whilst your name is still on the documentation. Do not hand over the vehicle until the paperwork is changed, as it can also be very difficult to get the documentation at a later date.We at Levante Legal can help you with both the above issues, and further information is available via our Helpline on 0034 902 440 007
Once you are resident in Spain, it is necessary to change your Drivers License for a Spanish License.We can take care of the administrative system dealing with this, presenting your application in the Spanish Traffic Department. You will receive a temporary license until the new one is ready for collection.
Whether your license has expired naturally, or has been misplaced, we can assist in the paperwork and application of the replacement license. We can also advise and / or accompany you on the Medical Examination if you require.
In Spain, setting up a business is very much the same as in the U.K. You can either be self-employed (autonomo), or you can set up a new company.Levante Legal will give advice where necessary to allow you to make a conscious decision on what type of business set up best suits your needs.We will help you with obtaining the relevant licences from the Town Hall, to ensure that the business is totally legal. (There can be high fines for not having all the correct documentation in place.)We can provide you with Payslips, and quarterly and end of year accounts, allowing you to put all your efforts into your business to ensure your success.Put your business in safe hands with Levante Legal.Holding your hand all the way
At Levante Legal, we can provide a complete Fiscal service to anyone who needs to make a tax declaration in Spain. We will explain the procedures in Plain English, and provide fiscal advice for individual circumstances.Below are the taxes that you have to pay when you own a property in Spain. For just €140 for a couple, or €90 for a single person, we will calculate these taxes for you, and complete the return to the tax office.
This is the last year (2008) that any property owner will have to pay Spanish wealth tax. It was ended as at 01st Jan 2008, so the tax for 2007 has to be paid this year, but this will be the final time.
The imputed income tax is not payable on a main residence. However a non-resident must pay the tax, as he is not resident in Spain.People, who have to pay the tax, have 2% of the catastral value of (this is the officially rated value of the property, and not that on the title deeds) their property attributed as an imaginary income.Residents pay this tax by having it added to their other income, as if it was more earnings.Non-residents pay this at the flat rate of 24%.
This tax is also based on the catastral value of your property, and is a municipal tax. It can vary widely from town to town.
When a non-resident owner sells their property, retention of 3% of the declared sale price will be retained by the solicitor for the purchaser and paid to the tax office, as a payment to offset any capital gains tax. We at Levante legal can reclaim any overpayment for you. Residents would pay any capital gains tax as part of their yearly tax return.In our experience many people are unaware of their tax liabilities as non-residents, and therefore may be in arrears. Our friendly staff will put your minds at rest, and inform you of your liabilities. Do not let the Tax man come to you, sort out your taxes now, and have peace of mind.For Residents it will depend on your individual circumstances, as to whether you need to pay income tax or not, and specialist advice is necessary to determine your tax liability. However, the only people not required to fill in a tax return, are those with incomes of under €1000, which come from only one source.Please ring our help line on 902 440 007 for further information
Community Administration Services :
For further information call our friendly staff on 902 440 007
Levante Legal, Tax consultants, and Administrator’s – Holding your hand all the way
Sometimes we have disputes with our neighbours about anything from too much noise to problems with parking, rubbish, pets, or plans to build or develop their properties. We, at Levante Legal can advise you of your rights in relation to these problems and give you ways of settling these disputes.We can also provide the Community with a wide range of services, including:
Levante Legal offers our clients highly skilled trial and appeals representation in all aspects of civil litigation. Members of the firm have represented individuals and companies as plaintiffs and defendants through trial and appeal in a wide variety of matters before the Spanish Courts.Additionally, we assist our clients in obtaining and enforcing judgments and negotiating structured settlements of claims. Our practice areas cover a wide variety of disciplines including:
We can also represent clients before arbitration and administrative tribunals.
Our solicitors provide legal advice to businesses, and undertake general and complex commercial and corporate transactions and disputes, spanning a wide range of industries and sectors. Our business solicitors are committed to a personal service and seek to provide preventative advice, before issues get out of hand.We are results driven, seeking to make a cost effective and valuable contribution to our clients' success. We aim to assist our clients in a number of ways: creating options, achieving realistic and attainable goals, and offering guidance to assist decision-making in a commercial context. We provide legal advice on contracts and disputes which include:
We are also familiar with employment contracts, unfair dismissals, unfair termination of employment contracts and all other general commercial law matters.
Whenever you try to make an insurance claim against either an individual or company, for negligence, damages, malpractice or accident, you will find the insurance company is the one who is fighting the claim. They employ experts who will fight the claim in order to pay you as little as possible. This is where we come in.Levante Legal benefits from the experience of insurance law experts. Insurance companies know us, respect us, and recognize we are serious solicitors. We can help you get your full entitlement, usually without the need to go to court. Services:
Main Office (Murcia) :C / Torre de Romo, 1 - 2º Dcha.C.P. 30002 Murcia (Spain)Telf: 968 25 92 95 Fax: 968 34 05 42
Local Office (Cabo Roig) :C / Isla Tabarca, Commercial centre REGIA ROIG, Unit 15 C.P. 03189 Cabo Roig, Orihuela Costa,Alicante (España)Telf: 902 440 007
Email: support®levantelegal.com
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