Carlos in Tortosa

This afternoon we met Carlos at his office... his name being all that we had to go on, together with the address rather rapidly given over the telephone in Catalan. We found the place without too much difficulty - driving around Tortosa is a bit of a nightmare when you don't know where you're going - and found that Carlos was very good at explaining the tax laws and in very good English too.

I don't imagine that we were the only English people living in Spain who assumed (and were never told otherwise) that because all their income came from the U.K. we only needed to complete tax returns in that country. Wrong! Because we are resident in Spain, living here for more than 183 days per year, we have to declare all our income to the Spanish taxman as well as completing the new Declaration of Worldwide Income (Form 720). So now we know. But if a friend hadn't mentioned the new form at the meal two weeks ago we would never have known... until a Spanish tax inspector came knocking. (I know, I know, ignorance of the law is no excuse.)

p.s. This is not his office, just a rather lovely old building opposite as we sat whiling away an hour before our appointment time.