El vergonzoso endemismo español: dinero negro y sucio

Ya no es un secreto. Es imposible que lo sea con los españoles teniendo un 30% del total de billetes de 500 euros que circulan en toda la unión europea. ¿Somos los más ricos? NO. Solo algunos H de la gran P. Mientras el resto venga a perder poder adquisitivo. Aquí les dejo un artículo en inglés, pero con lenguaje sencillo, que describe perfectamente nuestro pútrido sector ladrillil nacional. Que puta vergüenza.

"White lies, black money
(Filed: 09/04/2005)

Spain’s irregular ways with property are under scrutiny. Chris Wilson reports

If you buy a house in Spain, you will almost certainly be asked to break the law as a routine part of the process. Refuse and you run a real risk of losing the house of your dreams; but if you go ahead and commit the crime, as so many estate agents advise - be warned. The recently installed socialist government has decided to get tough on tax cheats and money launderers and the booming property market is a number one target.
Counting Euro money
When in Spain: there is much untraceable money in the Spanish system

The problem is that in order to reduce his capital gains tax, the seller will ask you to declare that you are buying the house at a reduced price - and then pay him the difference in cash. It's called black money and it is endemic in Spain, where cash buys "under the table" for all kinds of services are common. A recent estimate suggests that 30 per cent of all €500 notes in Europe are in circulation in Spain and there's only one possible explanation for that.

While negotiating to buy an apartment in Marbella, Matt Henderson, an IT consultant, was surprised by the attitude of the vendor, who asked for black money and then turned out to be a lawyer. "He assured me that it was a completely normal thing to do, and that, in fact, making a purchase declaration for the 'real' purchase price would actually be an exception in Spain," says Mr Henderson.

The practice of under-declaring is so common that vendors frequently refuse to sell to those British buyers who won't go along with it. One woman, who prefers to remain anonymous, revealed that her lawyer advised her to pay about 15 per cent of the sale price under the table. When she refused, she was told the house in the sun she had set her heart on was no longer for sale. She quickly changed her mind.

Mr Henderson was made of sterner stuff. "My wife and I decided that we wouldn't do anything unethical or illegal. We wouldn't involve ourselves in black money, and we informed the seller of our decision. He then stated that he was cancelling the sale and that he was keeping our original deposit."

"I advise my clients not to pay black money," says Enrique Blasco, a property lawyer. "But sometimes they won't listen since they have fallen in love with a house and will do anything to get it."

One theory used to justify the tax evasion is that the whole system relies on cash. Builders pay their illegal immigrant workers in cash, which keeps the prices down, so everyone benefits in the end. Some buyers even talk about the thrill of turning up at the notaire's office with a bag full of money. "It was very exciting and made it feel foreign," says one recent buyer "When in Spain, do as the Spanish do," says another.

Unfortunately for the romantics, this time-honoured Spanish practice is under threat. The department responsible for tax collection in Spain, the Agence Tributaria, has recently published its anti-fraud plan to combat black money in house purchases. Since there are about 60,000 homes built in Spain every year, it is obvious that there is a great deal of untraceable cash sloshing around the system.

'The problem for the buyer," points out Mr Blasco, "is that you leave a trail when you pay by cash." British buyers who don't already have large amounts of cash under the bed are most at risk of being caught beca