Best of British

HIGH taxes, plenty of red tape and also running a small business in a foreign country, are just a few of the hurdles which are faced by sole traders in Spain. But full marks to the British and their business skills because there are 18,000 British registered small traders in Spain. Infact, after the Chinese with 40,000 small traders and the Romanians with 25,000 it is the British who are next on the list.  The Germans and the French are way behind. So despite all the perils and high taxes the British still believe that it is worth forming a company in Spain and putting their savings on the line. It is great pity that the Spanish government don´t give them a greater helping hand although there is speculation that the government could change the law for autonomos (self employed) so that they pay less. Eye on Spain reports that a small business association presented a revised system whereby each person who works for him or herself pays according to their ‘actual financial capacity’, which would drastically reduce Social Security and income tax for those with low earnings and considerably increase them for those who are capable of paying more. It sounds like a good idea but so far it is just an idea and there is no word from the government when the system would or could be changed. What is evidently clear is that small business people in Spain need help because these are the people who will ensure that Spain is nursed back to economic good health.