Padron drive

We have been on the Padron for years and are non-residents. We pay our all our taxes due, through our Spanish Fiscal Rep. I can't see any problem with signing on the Padron, as said above it helps to get extra council funding to help the area.

Jan wrote:We have been on the Padron for years and are non-residents. We pay our all our taxes due, through our Spanish Fiscal Rep. I can't see any problem with signing on the Padron, as said above it helps to get extra council funding to help the area.

My point is that this is a register for residents which could lead to unintended consequences. I attach an extract from Citizens Advice Spain. In response to a question about whether non residents should sign up to the pardon. In particular the last sentence


"For EU citizens and nonresident the general rule is yes if, your intentions are to apply for residency. Nonresidents can also register if they are habitual residents of the town (living here for more than six months in the year). It is expected that you register with the intention of applying for residency. Full information on an article about the padron found by using the keyword.
The padron is a census of the habitual residents of a town. The town hall obtains funds from the government for each resident registered.
By registering you are declaring that the town on which register on the census is your habitual residence.
It is often stated that the padron do not provide information to the police, tax agencies and other government bodies. These entities do have the right to obtain information from the census."
Rest my case. People can make their own mind up about the wisdom of signing

Coming back over in Dec, and would be pleased to obtain a padron if it helps the community of Rojales, can anyone tell us what we need to take to the town hall to obtain one thanks

Sylwina wrote:

Jan wrote:We have been on the Padron for years and are non-residents. We pay our all our taxes due, through our Spanish Fiscal Rep. I can't see any problem with signing on the Padron, as said above it helps to get extra council funding to help the area.

My point is that this is a register for residents which could lead to unintended consequences. I attach an extract from Citizens Advice Spain. In response to a question about whether non residents should sign up to the pardon. In particular the last sentence


"For EU citizens and nonresident the general rule is yes if, your intentions are to apply for residency. Nonresidents can also register if they are habitual residents of the town (living here for more than six months in the year). It is expected that you register with the intention of applying for residency. Full information on an article about the padron found by using the keyword.
The padron is a census of the habitual residents of a town. The town hall obtains funds from the government for each resident registered.
By registering you are declaring that the town on which register on the census is your habitual residence.
It is often stated that the padron do not provide information to the police, tax agencies and other government bodies. These entities do have the right to obtain information from the census."
Rest my case. People can make their own mind up about the wisdom of signing

I think Sylwina has a very legitimate point and don't think it fair to criticise her. I can understand the argument for helping the local town to obtain more money but not at the risk of muddying the waters regarding one's own actual genuine residency status. Particularly in these somewhat uncertain political times. And people not on the padron do not benefit from many of the things offered by the Town Hall as you have to show your padron to eg join intercambio etc or even eg to get a licence to use the town rubbish dump... But of course non-residents need to pay suma etc and their non resident tax and all that to cover utilities and services ( quite right too, by the way ) even though they may not be here most of the year . So one can hardly say they are 'taking advantage'.

Rojales Town Hall may be more liberal in their current interpretation of those eligible for the padron than other places are and for some people that might be fine, but that situation ( the Town Hall interpretation) could change as the strict letter of the law appears to be that you are supposed to actually be living here most of the time to do it. As Sylwina says " People can make up their own mind about the wisdom of signing up. " Each to their own...

OK - Back to Martin's original post, given we are not in Spain at present, how do we register given there are not details on the poster ?

Vera and Geoff

We are back in Spain at the weekend for our first long-term stay at our apartment (2 months). We want to sign on the padron and I have packed copies of our NIE's, Nota Simple and the last water bill. Obviously we will have our passports with us, is that all we need to bring over?

I think that'll be fine TonTri.
NIE, passport, utility bill and take them to the first desk on the first floor of the town hall.

Cheers Martin

Shiva wrote:

Sylwina wrote:

Jan wrote:We have been on the Padron for years and are non-residents. We pay our all our taxes due, through our Spanish Fiscal Rep. I can't see any problem with signing on the Padron, as said above it helps to get extra council funding to help the area.

Rojales Town Hall may be more liberal in their current interpretation of those eligible for the padron than other places are and for some people that might be fine, but that situation ( the Town Hall interpretation) could change as the strict letter of the law appears to be that you are supposed to actually be living here most of the time to do it. As Sylwina says " People can make up their own mind about the wisdom of signing up. " Each to their own...

Thank you Shiva. The elephant in the room is the legality of what Rojales is doing. If funds from central govt are predicated on the number of residents then Rojales is at best misrepresenting or at worst obtaining funds by deception. Which not to put a fine point on it is Fraud! If you sign up saying you are resident when you are not you are aiding and abetting the deception. (No offence intended, people sign up for unselfish reasons not personal gain) It may well be done by tacit agreement by all parties but I'm just not comfortable with that. There are also practical disadvantages. I read on another forum of a case where someone who signed up on the padron whilst not a resident and subsequently became one, had a real problem importing their car without paying the import tax because you are supposed to do it within a month a residency and their padron was dated several years earlier. Only the services of a good gestor and other proofs (hospital appointments etc) of UK residency persuaded the taxman not to levy the tax. This really is the last I will say on the matter

Some towns insist on residency before padron and others insist on padron before residency - there is no right or wrong, but if you want to buy a car, vote in local elections etc, you have to be on the padron - town hall's books if you like.