La Marina Advertiser brings you news and views on local issues in La Marina Urbanisation, La Marina Pueblo and San Fulgencio.
If you have any QUESTIONS for Samantha about local issues, please email Sam on info@lamarinaadvertiser.com
It's a Local Affair!
with Samantha Hull San Fulgencio Councilor
Answering all your questions about local issues as well as exploring life and culture in Spain as a San Fulgencio local.
BEING SELF-EMPLOYED (AUTÓNOMO) IN SPAIN: WHAT IT REALLY COSTS
Working for yourself in Spain gives you independence, but it also comes with fixed costs, taxes, and a lot of paperwork. Here’s what you need to know if you’re thinking about becoming an autónomo
Registering as autónomo
To start legally you must:
1. Register with Hacienda (tax office) under the right activity code (IAE). If you do different jobs (e.g. teaching and photography), each must be registered.
2. Register with Social Security, which gives you healthcare and builds your pension.
The Social Security fee (cuota de autónomos)
Every autónomo pays a monthly fee, even with no income. Since 2023, it’s linked to declared earnings:
• Up to €670/month → €230
• €1,500–1,700/month → €294
• €3,000–4,000/month → €400+
New freelancers can apply for the tarifa plana: €80/month for the first year.
Taxes: IRPF and IVA
IRPF (income tax)
• Most freelancers withhold 15% on invoices (or 7% for the first three years).
• The real calculation is done in the annual Declaración de la Renta
Progressive IRPF brackets (2024):
• 19% up to €12,450
• 24% up to €20,200
• 30% up to €35,200
• 37% up to €60,000
• 45% up to €300,000
• 47% over €300,000
By sector:
• Liberal professions (designers, lawyers, translators) → 15%
• Training/teaching → 15%
• Agriculture/livestock → 2%
• Some trades → fixed amounts under módulos
If you do several jobs, you apply the correct rate for each, but all income is added together in your Renta.
IVA (VAT)
Freelancers charge IVA, collect it, and pay it quarterly.
• 21% standard (most services)
• 10% reduced (restaurants, culture, transport)
• 4% super-reduced (basic foods, books)
• Exempt: education, healthcare, some arts
The Declaración de la Renta
Filed each year (May–June), this finalises your tax:
• All income from different activities is added.
• Quarterly IRPF payments are reconciled.
• You can deduct legitimate business expenses (equipment, software, office/ coworking rent, part of home office bills, travel for work).
If you’ve overpaid, Hacienda refunds you; if not, you owe the difference.
Example: earning €2,000/month
A freelance designer invoicing €2,000/ month (€24,000/year):
• Social Security: €294/month → €3,528/ year
• IRPF retention: 15% → €300/month (advance)
• IVA: €420/month added to invoices, passed to Hacienda
Real take-home: about €1,400/month before expenses.
Other costs and realities
• Gestor (accountant): €50–100/month, almost essential.
• Insurance: Some sectors need liability cover.
• Late payments: Common in Spain— many freelancers wait 60–90 days.
• Benefits: Healthcare included, but pensions are generally low unless you contribute more. Sick leave and parental leave are available, unemployment benefit is limited.
Key points
• You pay the cuota every month, whether you earn money or not.
• IVA and IRPF must be managed quarterly, then finalised in the annual Renta.
• Different sectors have different IRPF rates and IVA rules.
• Multiple jobs are allowed, but each must be registered.
• Real take-home income is often 30–40% less than what you invoice.
Conclusion
Being self-employed in Spain is possible, but it isn’t simple or cheap. Between the Social Security cuota, quarterly taxes, IVA, IRPF, and the annual Renta, freelancers need careful planning and usually a gestor’s help. The independence is real - but so are the costs.
My La Marina
with Brenda Bartley of the AAN Charity
“We had no plans to live in Spain (been here for 21 years now!!), until, during yet another visit to my doctor in the UK, she told me that I would never do well living in a cold wet climate - had I considered moving somewhere warmer?
That was in January 2004.
As it happened, our house was already on the market as we were going to downsize into a bungalow. Coincidentally at that time, my sister introduced me to a friend of hers who was already re-locating herself to La Marina, and we thought... hey... why not go over there for a long break, check the place out, give it a try and see if we like it? So, we talked to my sister´s friend and through her we found a place to rent for the whole of September 2004.
And... we loved being in La Marina and decided that yes, we would be happy making the move to Spain! We started looking for a property to buy. We must have seen about 30 or so houses from as far as Gran Alacant to Horadada to La Marina, but we found that we were always happiest with properties La Marina.
Finally we decided, it´s definitely La Marina for us. We found a property we particularly liked here and luckily our house in the UK sold so we were able to put a deposit on it - and we still live in that same house to this day!
While the purchase of the La Marina house was going through we returned to the UK (we had to rent somewhere there which was a bit annoying!) and came back to La Marina in November to pay the balance on the new property and get the keys, and spend our first night in our new Spanish home.
Because we still had a few months rental left in the UK, we retuned and had our last
Christmas and New Year there and on the 5th of January 2005, we set off in the car with our cat Flix, on a four day trip through France and Spain, arriving to start our new healthier lives in La Marina!
It wasn´t long before I got involved in fostering kittens and working with various animal charity´s and from there I started working with the AAN Charity (at our Charity Shop in Plaza Sierra Castilla). We also sell second hand furniture in the Catholic Church in La Marina, on Thursdays from 10.30am till 1pm.
I have now been working with the AAN Charity (a job which I love and find deeply fulfilling) for nearly 11 years. For the last seven years I have been the President, and work with a dedicated team of volunteers to provide local needy families with food, cleaning and personal hygiene products every month.”
You can find the AAN charity shop at: Plaza Sierra castilla 42 03177 La Marina
Open Monday to Friday 10am to 2pm and Saturday 10am to 1pm
We also sell second hand furniture in the Catholic Church in La Marina, on Thursdays from 10.30till 1.00pm.
Spanish Bar Assc Reg No. is ICAE 1265)
The Soul Café
by Nicola Dunsford
In our fast-paced world the need for genuine connection has never felt greater. The Soul Café was born from a longing to slow down, gather in community, and share in conversations that nourish the heart as much as the mind.
I wanted to create a space that wasn’t about form, structure or pressure to perform. Instead, a space that felt warm, open, allowing conversations to wander into the deeper currents of life.
When I shared the idea online, I wasn’t sure if anyone else would feel the same.
To my delight, the response was, yes, people were longing for this too!
From there, The Soul Café found its name - a name that captures its essence. It’s not a café in the physical sense, but a café for the soul: a meeting place for stories, reflections, and presence, where each person, regardless of belief or background, is welcome.
Our first gathering’s theme was Connection. For two hours, a group of us sat together, sipping tea, exploring what connection means - to us, to others, and to whatever sacred thread we each hold. There was no preaching, no agenda, just honest conversation and shared silence when words weren’t needed. What struck me most was the atmosphere: warm, open, and safe. People who hadn´t met before trusting, speaking from the heart and listening intently.
The Soul Café also explores the importance of self-love - for how we treat ourselves shapes how we connect with the world. We’ve reflected on the link between emotions and physical and mental wellbeing, and how simple acts of kindness towards ourselves ripple outward. In the latter part of our sessions, we often move into a gentle meditation and stillness, rest, and a deeper sense of presence.
The response has been humbling. Several people said how refreshing it felt to have a space that wasn’t about fixing or solving, but simply being together. One person described it as “like coming home,” while another shared that it gave them a sense of hope and belonging. These comments affirmed what I sensed from the beginning
A Space for Connection and Belonging
- that many of us carry a quiet hunger for spaces where we can share what really matters.
Looking ahead, The Soul Café will continue meeting with a gentle theme serving as a guide, but the true magic lies in the people, each bringing their own wisdom, questions and presence. I am exploring creative sessions for the future, such as poetry, music, or other healing tools that can deepen our reflections.
The Soul Café apart, I’m a spiritual life coach and energy healer, and the author of a book on self-love. In many ways, The Soul Café feels like a natural extension of this - a place where self-love, soulful connection, and community can come together.
The Soul Café is about belonging, reminding ourselves that we are not alone - a place to feel safe, nourished, and inspired.
So, please join us! All that is required is an open heart and a willingness to listen. After all, sometimes the simplest gatherings are the ones that touch us most deeply.
The Soul Café meets at Restaurante Galicia, Playa del Pinet on Wednesdays. Please call/message Nicola on 634 199 029 (phone or Whatsapp).
THE WRITING GROUP
Perfume, Sweet, Shock…
By Cally Byrne
I got myself dressed and out to the field earlier than usual on this particular Thursday morning. Every day it was a race with the sun at this time of year. Who could reach the crops first? They need the suns rays to grow but they also needed the water to flourish. If the sun came before the water, then the tender roots would boil and bake. If I could get there first, then I stood a chance of giving my thirsty crops a much-needed drink. It had been scorcher the day previously, forty-two Celsius and the pale clay ground between the tomato plants was cracked with drought. But on this day, I got to them first.
After watering and tending the half acre plot of vegetable crops I’d lovingly sown earlier that spring, I sat on the embankment under an olive tree and took a rest while I waited for the sun. It was 6.10am by the time I had finished my first daily task.
Patience darling, patience.
And here it came in all of its golden glory, A tiny slither of yellow light streaked through the mountain tops and lit up the trees like beacons, right there, on our very own doorstep.
Gratitude filled my soul as the whispers of mother nature greeted me and filled me with warmth.
The birds started to sing, this was how I knew that it was time.
I slowly stood up, dusted off my shorts and stepped out from the cover of the old olive tree, into the suns light and I allowed its rays to kiss my skin.
I was learning all kinds of wonderful things in this majestic place, which I was now fortunate enough to call my forever home. We had worked so hard for this.
How blessed we were to share this space with nature.
Here they came!
The bee eater birds in the trees each took their turns to glide high and low over the vegetable garden. Their golden yellow bellies lit up by the suns reflection.
The reds, greens and blues shimmered like rubies, emeralds and sapphires as they swooped overhead. I stood back in shock and awe as they danced their beautiful dance for me, I admired the show with great respect.
Such beauty.
The warm morning breeze joined the party, and with her came the intense perfume, I now know to be the sweet scent of cherry blossom. It filled my senses and I asked myself the same question I was now asking myself every day.
‘Why didn’t we come here sooner?’
THE WRITER´S GROUP
By Nina Saunders
Writing makes me feel happy, Poetry and rhyme, Perhaps a little story, If I have the time.
On a subject we must write, Can be serious or fun. It makes my brain work overtime, I´m relieved once it´s all done!
Does it all rhyme perfectly?
Does the story make sense? Have I made many errors? Written in the right tense?
To the writer´s group I´ll go, Second Tuesday of each month. I´ll read my piece out with great pride, Will it be a triumph?
So If you´d like to join us, We´re a very friendly bunch. Usually after the meeting We go somewhere for lunch.
And you may find that writing Gives you a hobby new. Whatever topic you write about Can be fiction or true.
We look forward to seeing you!
The Writer´s Group Second Tuesday of every month 11 AM, The Palm Tree Bar Consum Square
THY WILL BE DONE
Paul Blackmoore (Practice Principal) with little helper Benny, his rescue French Bulldog
I often read on forums that a Will can be organised directly through a notary effectively cutting out the “middle man’’ saving 40€ or so on average against our own fees and this is 100% true as if you are simply looking to save money upfront, going directly to a notary will always be cheaper than using ourselves to produce your legal documents and then paying a notary for their services afterwards.
However, let’s take a minute to remember WHY we are organising a Will for your Spanish estate in the first place –it is to guarantee that your wishes are adhered to AND to ENSURE that your
WHEN YOU DIE IN SPAIN IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT WHAT WILL HAPPEN IT’S ALSO ABOUT WHAT WON’T
beneficiaries have as little hassle and expense and cost as possible once you have died.
Clients of Thy Will Be Done are ASSURED of the following:
1. Their beneficiaries will not need to travel to Spain to arrange an NIE number – our UK office can easily organise this directly with them and the Spanish Consulate;
2. Their beneficiaries will not have to seek out an English-speaking Abogado (solicitor) in Spain and pay for that Abogado to have Power of Attorney to act for them – if we are nominated as executors within a Spanish Will, we will immediately liaise directly with the UK beneficiaries in English and the Spanish authorities in Spanish;
3. Their beneficiaries will not have to pay an unknown amount for Spanish probate to be conducted as our probate fees are guaranteed in advance at just 1.75% + iva of the estate value as standard or even lower at only 1.16%
+ iva if the client has Priority Client Cover in place (just 4.99€ per month with no minimum contract);
4. Their beneficiaries will not have to deal with 2 legal entities, one for the Spanish estate and one for the UK estate as we take care of probate in both jurisdictions seamlessly at the same time.
So, when considering if it’s worth cutting out the middleman you should perhaps consider just one question?
What would your beneficiaries think?
Call us Monday to Friday 9-4 (except red days) on 865 756 058 and a convenient time can be arranged for us to talk through your options either over the phone or (for those clients that are close to our Spanish office in Benijofar) a face to face meeting can be arranged and, our advice is always FREE - you only pay if you engage us to produce your legal documents.
Thy Will Be Done – so your beneficiaries WON’T !
Imagine you are standing atop the hill of the Castle of Santa Bárbara in Alicante. Warm Mediterranean air brushes your face, below you see the curve of the bay, the neat lines of the port, and sails of boats gliding toward shore. Now picture this same scene more than 2000 years ago. On the shore, Carthaginian general Hamilcar Barca has just arrived. His fleet is anchored offshore, war elephants restless in the heat.
Eager to recover from Carthage’s losses in the First Punic War against Rome, his army is vast, his ambition even greater.
This place has already witnessed centuries of life. Iberian tribes farmed and traded here, their culture shaped by Phoenician merchants drawn by the salt, the fish, and the safe anchorages along the coast. Now Hamilcar claims it as his base, naming it Akra Leuké - the White Promontory - a fortified settlement on the very ground you see now: the site later known as Lucentum.
But it does not last. Within decades, Carthage’s defeat in the Second Punic War brings the Romans. The Carthaginian town is razed, and on its ashes they build Lucentum - the City of Light. From this hilltop, you would see walls enclosing a bustling municipium, paved streets, public baths, temples, and a forum. The harbour trades olive oil, wine, garum - while the fertile land nearby supplies wheat and fruit.
Lucentum thrives for centuries, but the fall of Rome in the 5th century ushers in decline. The Visigoths take the region, leaving the city to fade, its fine buildings crumbling in the salt wind. By the 7th century, Lucentum is abandoned.
In the 8th century, Muslim forces arrive from North Africa. They do not rebuild. Instead, the ruins become a cemetery while the main settlement moves to the slopes of Mount Benacantil, beneath where you stand at Santa Bárbara. They call it AlLaqant. Under their rule the area flourishes again: fields are irrigated, silk is dyed in
brilliant colours, and the port hums with trade in citrus, ceramics, and textiles.
The castle becomes a defensive stronghold, a watchtower against enemies by land or sea. In the 13th century, Christian armies under James I of Aragon seize Al-Laqant. The city becomes Alicante, and the castle is strengthened.
Over the centuries, Santa Bárbara Castle changes roles - fortress, garrison, prison. During the War of Spanish Succession in the early 1700s, it is a strategic stronghold. In the Spanish Civil War, it holds political prisoners .
Back to the present. The castle restored, open to visitors. Below, Alicante stretches out in light and colour. You hear chatter from cafés, the hum of traffic, the laughter of people shopping or strolling by the sea. The port is still busy - but now with cruise ships, yachts, and fishing boats instead of war galleys.
Beneath the modern streets, the city’s deeper history remains - the ruins of Lucentum lie quiet, but its stones still hold the stories of those who once lived there.
This hill has witnessed them all. And if you stand here long enough, listening past the noise of the modern city, you might still hear the faint murmur of those who walked these shores before usvoices carried on the wind, telling the long, bright history of the City of Light.
Spanish is a language painted in every shade of the rainbow—and I mean that quite literally.
In Spanish, colours aren’t just for describing dresses, sunsets, or walls; they spill into everyday speech, revealing moods, personalities, and even a dash of romance. So, let’s dive in:
ESTAR VERDE
Literal: To be green
Meaning: To be inexperienced
In English, we say someone is “green” at something when they’re new or unskilledand Spanish follows suit. Whether you’ve just started a job or picked up a guitar for the first time, “estás verde”.
“Todavía está verde con el coche- se acaba de sacar el carnet.” = “He’s still inexperienced with driving- he just got his licence.
Be careful though—estar verde can also mean something’s unripe. So depending on context, you might be describing a person or a banana. And, speaking of the colour green…
Poner verde a alguien
Literal: To turn someone green
Meaning: To badmouth or criticise someone behind their back If you´re “poniendo verde a alguien”, you´re slagging them off. Plain and simple.
“Estuvieron poniéndola verde después de la reunión.” = “They were talking rubbish about her after the meeting.”
VERLO TODO NEGRO
Literal: To see everything black
Meaning: To be pessimistic
This phrase is darker- literally and figuratively. If someone “lo ve todo negro”, they’re seeing the worst possible outcome. It’s that glass-half-empty, doomsday mindset.
“Después de perder el trabajo, lo ve todo negro.” = “After losing his job, he’s really down and can’t see a way out.”
Interestingly, in English we might say someone’s “feeling blue” when they’re down, but in Spanish, blue has quite a different connotation...
SPANISH TIPS WITH
PRÍNCIPE AZUL
Literal: Blue prince
Meaning: Prince Charming
Forget red roses or white horses- el príncipe azul is the Spanish version of Prince Charming.
The phrase conjures up the ideal man: dreamy, romantic, and possibly fictional. “Todavía está esperando a su príncipe azul.” = “She’s still waiting for her Prince Charming.”
No one seems quite sure why he’s blue- it could possibly be because royal blood is often referred to as blue blood..
Also, the expression “Tener sangre azul” (to have blue blood) refers to someone who isaristocratic or posh (just as in the UK).
Colour expressions in Spanish are more than just interesting vocabulary—they’re everyday tools for describing people, situations, and emotions. The more you notice them in conversations, the more natural they’ll feel when you use them yourself. Add a few to your repertoire, and you’ll find your Spanish sounding richer, more authentic, and closer to the ay native speakers really talk.
¡Buenas! We are Dani and Sam from the ‘Speechless in Spain’ Language Centre in San Fulgencio, where we have lived for over two decades and taught Spanish here with over 26 years of combined experience. If you'd like to know more about Speechless in Spain, get in touch: Tel: 623 003 215
Email: info@speechlessinspain.com
TULISA´S TALES
Hullo readers, doggy and hooman, this week I´m barking about how weird hoomans can be!
I often get barkmails from my doggy readers worried about how strange and weird their hoomans are and asking if it´s normal. So...in this piece I´ll discuss how weird my own hoomans are so that other doggies understand that, well, hoomans are just weird by nature! Hooman readers should read this too...hopefully then they´ll understand why their doggy owners sometimes look at with complete mystification. Bark!
So, here´s a list of standard hooman weirdness:
1. Hoomans are always changing their fur. Yes,.perfectly normal/weird but in fact, hoomans actually have NO fur.. they´re as bald as, well, a bald thing. What we doggies think is fur, it´s not, it´s something hoomans call ´clowthes´ and, being baldies, they have to put on clowthes to stay warm!
2. Hoomans can´t eat properly... they shove shove food in their mouths with ´nives´ and ´fawks´...yup, weird and I´ve no idea why they do this but, once again, a perfectly normal weird thing for hoomans.
3. The box of moving pictures... yup, all hoomans do this... sit in front of a strange box that makes noises and has moving pictures in it... they can sit there for hours, mouths open, staring, lost to the world. Apparently hoomans call this picture box thing a ´tel eee vizhun´ (or something like that).
4. Hooman´s don´t bark. Perfectly normal/weird once again... no hoomans can bark, they communicate by looking at each other, making a strange noise somewhere between howling and whining that they call ´tawking´.
5. Lazy, lazy, lazy. Yup, hoomans are well lazy... if the only time your hooman gets out of the house is when you put them on the lead and drag them out for their walkies, don´t worry, dear doggy (see what I did there..I´m a poet and I don´t know it!). Once again, perfectly normal hooman weirdness!
6. Poohing. Eewwh...yucky, hoomans can´t do toilet stuff properly. Firstly they have to go in this big white seat they call a ´toylut´ and when they pooh...well...let´s just say it don´t come out clean, because of their deformed rear bits, and they have to clean up with ´toylut rowl´. Ooh, yuck, but perfectly normal hooman weirdness!
7. Only walk on two legs. Strange again - normal strange! At some point hoomans lost the use of their front legs and they shrivelled up into these strange little things called arms. Only having two legs is why hoomans are rubbish at running, chasing and jumping.
8. Alko frol. Yup, normal weirdness, don´t worry about it. Hoomans drink a substance called ´alko frol´ and it makes them go even weirder than normal. Under the influence of ´alko frol´ they do even more tawking, make a strange semi-barking noise they call ´laffing´... sometimes they´ll even do strange, jerky, clumsy movements they call ´dan sing´ or they´ll even drink so much alko frol that they just fall over!
So... dear doggy friends... my hoomans do all the above so if yours do too, and other strange stuff, don´t worry. As I said at the start of this piece, all hoomans are just plain weird (I´ve even heard that some hoomans actually like cats but I´m just not going there!). Bark!
By the way, the doggy in the picture is Wendy, my sister – more about her next month!
Play ECCH Bingo at PAPAGAYO
Every Friday at 3pmproceeds go to Elche Childrens Care Home
Out & About in La Marina...
Wednesday Club at HILLSIDE
Fantastic live music with Kim Peters! Every Wednesday from 2pm to 5pm
Papagayo. Plaza Sierra Castilla 39, La Marina 03177
Hillside Snooker & Bar, Calle Bilbao, La Marina 03177
BEREAVEMENT SUPPORT GROUP
We are a friendly group of people who have all suffered the loss of someone we love.
Every person in our group understands the devastation, grief, hurt, worry, loneliness, and so many other feelings. We know how painful loss is, we understand what it feels like to lose someone.
Our group has a maximum of 10 -12 people, who support each other by getting together every Saturday, at Calle Azorin 5, Urbanisation La Marina, (near to the football pitch/tennis courts) between 15.00pm and 17.00pm (or stay as long as you wish).
Our Friendship and Support After Bereavement (FASAB) group, would like to support you at a very difficult time. If you would like to know more, please call Faith 618431723. (Please do leave a message if there is no reply – I will return your call).
Invest in solar panels and reduce your monthly bills with your trusted expert, Sunrise Energy.
We provide high-quality solar panels for the best energy output. With over 11 years of experience, we offer the best value for money.
Our quotes are tailor-made, fully based on your energy usage, available space, and roof orientation. With a fast installation guaranteed!
Sunrise Energy is here for you in Dutch, Spanish & English.
Switch to sustainable energy and request your free, no-obligation quote today! Your
