Understanding Spain's Beckham Rule and Golden Visa Programme

One of the original beneficial tax regimes in Europe was created out of the desire to have David Beckham sign for Real Madrid, an opportunity that relied on Spain ‘bending’ the tax rules much like David was able to bend his free kicks.  Together with Roy Saunders, José Aguilar, an International Tax Lawyer from Squire Patton Boggs in Madrid, explores how the so-called Beckham rule has changed over the years to eliminate its appeal to sports personalities and how it can still lower your tax liability with a flat 24% rate on employment income up to €600,000, as well as understand the recent changes that allow professionals to own more than 25% of their employing company. They also dive into comparative insights with Portugal and Italy, revealing why Spain's strategy is uniquely crafted to attract top talent rather than just high-net-worth individuals.

In another enlightening segment, they break down Spain's golden visa programme and its recent shifts, especially in the context of changes in Portugal. Learn the various investment thresholds necessary to secure a golden visa and explore its benefits, including flexible tax residency and employment options. Roy and José examines the political motives behind proposed restrictions on real estate investments and analyses the potential impacts on the market. Get a comprehensive understanding of Spain's current political climate and its implications for future immigration and tax policies, making this episode a must-listen for UK emigrants eyeing a move to Spain.

This series of podcasts explores the beneficial tax regimes in Italy, Spain, Portugal, Malta, Cyprus, Switzerland, Singapore and Dubai in respect of where UK residents may wish to emigrate in light of the non-dom changes introduced by the Conservatives, and the likely tightening of these rules under the new Labour government.