Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Spain proposes 100% tax on homes bought by non-EU residents

theguardian.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

221–230 of 282 posts

Re: Spain proposes 100% tax on homes bought by non-EU residents

#221

Post by ajb »

JumpCrisscross wrote: post #205
ajb wrote: post #202

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not really sure what the technical details were. This is the complaint, in case anyone is curious: https://trellis.law/doc/159246087/complaint-case-initiation-... Although obviously that's only from one side. If may be that it's less risky if there's a common service such as you describe, since the operator will prefer to keep their business going. But if significant assets are involved it may still be somewhat r…

> if significant assets are involved it may still be somewhat risky No more than any asset in the EU. A nominee can steal your property about as easily as any notary.

Thee context here (and upthread) is about needing a nominee because you aren't in the country. IE if you were in country you'd control the asset directly.

Re: Spain proposes 100% tax on homes bought by non-EU residents

#222

Post by JumpCrisscross »

ajb wrote: post #221
JumpCrisscross wrote: post #205

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> if significant assets are involved it may still be somewhat risky No more than any asset in the EU. A nominee can steal your property about as easily as any notary.

Thee context here (and upthread) is about needing a nominee because you aren't in the country. IE if you were in country you'd control the asset directly.

> needing a nominee because you aren't in the country. IE if you were in country you'd control the asset directly

Yes. A nominee is just a local contact of record. If a nominee can steal your shit, any rando with a notary can, too.

Re: Spain proposes 100% tax on homes bought by non-EU residents

#223

Post by JambalayaJimbo »

iforgot22 wrote: post #175
fabrice_d wrote: post #163

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The benefit is that more people can afford to buy houses? Really surprising to see a country taking care of their people, and not just the wealthy ones! All the hypotheses claiming that "the market pressure will improve things for all" have been proven false at this point. We have decades of data, and this is only widening the inequality gap.

I don't see why this is better than people renting and investing their savings elsewhere, which is how it works with apartments anyway. So you own a house, it makes basically no return, now what?

Is the only reason you see for home ownership price appreciation? This mentality is what’s wrong with speculative real estate!

Re: Spain proposes 100% tax on homes bought by non-EU residents

#224

Post by JambalayaJimbo »

ralsnop wrote: post #193
rednafi wrote: post #176

The issue is that countries expect foreigners to bring in money, earn a lot, and pay taxes at the 90th percentile, but they’re (the locals) reluctant to share resources in return. A 100% taxation model turns it into a one-way street. Sure, if you don’t need foreign investment, you can afford to do that. But let’s be real—welcoming foreigners isn’t an act of charity. Governments usually do it because foreigners are of…

If India had 25% white EU members similar to Sweden having 25% migration background members (mostly from Africa or the Middle East), perhaps Indians would get a tiny bit protectionist. The accusation that locals are reluctant to share resources is offensive at this point. There is no space and people can barely afford to pay rents. Meanwhile there are "golden visas" to Portugal or Cyprus where rich Chinese can gain e…

What does whiteness have to do with anything?? Indians are protectionist, with regards to immigration from poorer countries like Bangladesh.

Re: Spain proposes 100% tax on homes bought by non-EU residents

#225

Post by WorkerBee28474 »

JumpCrisscross wrote: post #180
rgtank108 wrote: post #177

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What is this contrarian sophistry? In Europe foreigners often buy the most expensive historical real estate they can lay their hands on. If they do build something, it is office buildings for investment that take up space and often remain empty (Chinese are good at that). These investments still take up space and drive up real estate prices. Where do you even live?

> In Europe foreigners often buy the most expensive historical real estate they can lay their hands on Source? (I'm generally hugely sceptical of uniform statements about how capital behaves across the EU, let alone Europe.)

A source is not required for something to be true. An uncountable number of things that are true have no source to back them.

Re: Spain proposes 100% tax on homes bought by non-EU residents

#226

Post by icar »

Houses should not be an investment, but only used for what they are: a place to live. That's directly opposed to why someone not local would buy them.

This fall short, it should be straight up forbidden, also for EU residents (who are a big issue as well, looking at you German and French people that buy houses, leave them empty all year but 1 month and/or don't even learn the language and traditions of that place)

Re: Spain proposes 100% tax on homes bought by non-EU residents

#227

Post by ryan_lane »

JumpCrisscross wrote: post #180
rgtank108 wrote: post #177

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What is this contrarian sophistry? In Europe foreigners often buy the most expensive historical real estate they can lay their hands on. If they do build something, it is office buildings for investment that take up space and often remain empty (Chinese are good at that). These investments still take up space and drive up real estate prices. Where do you even live?

> In Europe foreigners often buy the most expensive historical real estate they can lay their hands on Source? (I'm generally hugely sceptical of uniform statements about how capital behaves across the EU, let alone Europe.)

Where's the source for your assertion? You're making a claim that foreign investment is beneficial with no source, but then requiring one when someone disagrees with you?

Re: Spain proposes 100% tax on homes bought by non-EU residents

#228

Post by motorest »

WorkerBee28474 wrote: post #225
JumpCrisscross wrote: post #180

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> In Europe foreigners often buy the most expensive historical real estate they can lay their hands on Source? (I'm generally hugely sceptical of uniform statements about how capital behaves across the EU, let alone Europe.)

A source is not required for something to be true. An uncountable number of things that are true have no source to back them.

> A source is not required for something to be true.

If it was really true then why would you have so much trouble providing anything at all that would back it up?

Re: Spain proposes 100% tax on homes bought by non-EU residents

#230

Post by motorest »

louison11 wrote: post #122

Blaming foreigners for housing prices is misdirected. The real culprit is slow bureaucracy & zoning laws making it impossibly slow to get a permit to build anything in both Spain and Portugal. Both of these countries for example have so many abandoned houses needing to be renovated, and so many foreigners coming in with money to do it - but they can never do it because you can't get a permit in literally forever... I…

> Both of these countries for example have so many abandoned houses needing to be renovated, and so many foreigners coming in with money to do it - but they can never do it because you can't get a permit in literally forever...

Are these hypothetical houses located in the places these hypothetical foreigners want to live or invest? Because getting a small apartment in Barcelona is a small feat, and Soria is not exactly an alternative.

Post reply on HN