Tossa de Mar
Costa Brava, Catalonia

Not more scams?

I'm afraid so. This time it's to do with tax. Some of our clients have received e-mails supposedly from HMRC or Agencia Tributaria. The e-mail states that they are eligible for a tax refund and, you've guessed it, enter your bank account details here. Whatever you do, don't! If you're a client of Ábaco's we will have already informed you if you have a rebate due and your account details are already on the tax declaration form.

For more information read our article here. It includes some handy advice about avoiding phishing too.

In the news

Domestic Violence remains an issue for Spain with three deaths reported recently in 48 hours. It is important to note that the courts are taking a very strong line on this crime but it does not seem to be having much of an impact.

It should be emphasised that a high proportion of the incidents do not involve Spanish nationals. Of the three recently reported one couple was from Bolivia and in the second the man was from Ecuador.

Some blame the machismo attitude of men in Spain and the transition from dictatorship to democracy with the subsequent influx of women into more high-powered and influential roles.

Others suggest that the increasing pressure on families due to the economic crisis and rising immigration are having an effect upon the services available in some areas leading to a rise in the statistics. There are suggestions that in some cases men are being unfairly accused with no right of reply.

An interesting report can be found here.

The Culture Spain website is an interesting one with lots of information about Spain including an English translation of the Spanish newspaper El País www.culturespain.com

A very uncomplimentary tax

It's been in the news a lot - an additional tax, we call it the 'complimentary' tax, that can be levied on property purchasers up to four years after they have bought a property in Spain. To clear up any misunderstandings and to find out what you should do about it, click here.

On the forums What works for you?

There are two subjects that come up every year and always attract lots of comments on the forums. How do you get rid of mosquitos and cockroaches? These two pests can make life a misery at certain times of the year and the debate thrives around what works and what doesn't.

If we concentrate on the mosquitos for this issue, the forum's suggestions for warding them off include:

- Marmite
- Listerine
- Lavender water
- Citronella plants
- Eucalyptus incense sticks
- Electric fans
- Tonic water
- B1 tablets
- cats

To read more around this debate: www.torreviejaforums.com

We'd like to know what's worked for you. Please e-mail us on inf@abaco-asesores.com

We could perhaps even compile our top ten tips for tackling troublesome insects.

Ongoing saga of Ryanair

If there is one name that seems to attract a reaction it's Ryanair. Since we identified one way of avoiding their booking charges we've had several e-mails from you with other suggestions too. Thank you.

You've told us that if you open a Solbank account you receive a pre-paid card that you can use for free when booking your Ryanair tickets. One of our clients obtained a virtual card from Rural Caja which you can pre-load from your current account, can be used for internet purchases and will not incur Ryanair charges.

Another client goes further than this though. Why bother with changing your card? Just dispense with Ryanair instead and use Aer Lingus www.aerlingus.com because.. "they give you more leg room, have better, leather seats with a wrap around collar for added comfort. Their service is usually first class and they do not charge for booking with visa." This must be Peter's favourite airline. What's yours?

Cadaqués is a small fishing town where Salvador Dalí lived. Costa Brava, Catalonia