NIE numbers now starting with "Y"

[libove]

Word of advice to new extranjeros - my NIE, granted a few months ago, begins with the letter "Y". Evidently, previously, NIEs began with the letter "X".
I have now encountered at least two areas where companies / systems aren't yet ready for the new "Y" NIEs - Gas Natural and Cataluña's Pla Renove 2008.
In both cases, a system, or a person typing in to a system, said that my NIE was "wrong". One of them tried to insist that my NIE was in the format of the CIF of an empresa.
I checked with the legal counsel to our company's HR department and learned that it's just a matter of having run out of X numbers, and I surmise then that systems haven't been updated yet.
Apparently, in Spain as everywhere else in the world, if the computer says it's so, it must be so :-)
Cheers,
Jay in Barcelona

[chris(madrid)]

Originally Posted by libove

Word of advice to new extranjeros - my NIE, granted a few months ago, begins with the letter "Y". Evidently, previously, NIEs began with the letter "X".
I have now encountered at least two areas where companies / systems aren't yet ready for the new "Y" NIEs - Gas Natural and Cataluña's Pla Renove 2008.
In both cases, a system, or a person typing in to a system, said that my NIE was "wrong". One of them tried to insist that my NIE was in the format of the CIF of an empresa.
I checked with the legal counsel to our company's HR department and learned that it's just a matter of having run out of X numbers, and I surmise then that systems haven't been updated yet.
Apparently, in Spain as everywhere else in the world, if the computer says it's so, it must be so :-)
Cheers,
Jay in Barcelona

Jay - I'd make preliminary enquiries NOW to HACIENDA too then - I had issues some years ago when the systems here did not understand the "X" either. A lady in Bilbao and I were sharing tax payments.

[libove]

Hi Chris,

Good advice, no doubt!

Ah, well, "fortunately" for me, Hacienda isn't in the picture, as I can't afford to buy anything I'd want to live in, anywhere I'd want to live!! :-/

The place I'm renting for €1.600/month on Putxet hill in Barcelona is quite nice for now :-) The agent said that the proprietor (over)paid about €1M for it a year ago... wow. Ouch. Even at the ~€700K I figure it's worth, it's arguably out of our price range. wow. Ouch.

Jay

[chris(madrid)]

Originally Posted by libove

Ah, well, "fortunately" for me, Hacienda isn't in the picture, as I can't afford to buy anything I'd want to live in, anywhere I'd want to live!! :-/

Will you be paying income tax in Spain? - if so, you will indeed get to know hacienda - so check - they'll happily take the monthly payment - the issue comes when you want some back!

[libove]

Hm, I thought that income tax was the Tributaria. I'm already registered for income tax collection, as I'm a regular permanent employee of a Spanish company, rather than an independent. So, Tributaria, Hacienda, I suspect my NIE is okay there.

I put a note on my calendar for early 2009 to get - if one is needed and different from my NIE -a NIF for tax purposes. I only earned income in Spain for the last two months in 2008, so my situation there is quite simple until 2009. Now, my situation in the US taxes, that's not so simple. Sigh.

Do you recommend a particular gestor in Barcelona to help with Spanish tax questions? I had chatted with one gestor service about my immigration process, and I wasn't completely happy with them - their responsiveness sometimes left something to be desired, and not all of their answers were correct on the first go.

Thanks,
Jay

[chris(madrid)]

Jay - If you have paid any tax this year - you WILL have to do a tax declaration for the 2008 period sometime in 2009. BUT - you may also have to declare (I believe) your US earnings - Check really well what the tax agreements are twixt US and ES to ensure you're not double taxed. You might actually get a lot of your tax back! - ime the local TAX offices actually DO HELP. Just avoid HEAVY industrial/corporate tax periods when you "pop in"- your Financial Controller will know when that is - BELIEVE ME.

My problems began when I discovered that hacienda (bless them) could not deal back then with the X so replaced it with a 0 - and there was a lady in Bilbao with this number as her SPANISH DNI. So we'd both paid tax into the same fund. Hacienda (of which the Agencia Tributaria is part) were not officious about it and solved it all in a few hours - But I'd make sure - I was more than just a BIT worried for a while. X1234 had not flagged as having paid at all - whereas 01234 had paid too much.

As an employee - NIE=NIF.

[libove]

No worries, I've read both the English and Spanish versions of the Spain <-> US dual taxation treaties. I will be a non-resident for tax purposes until 1.1.2014, thanks to a special element of the Spanish tax law intended to encourage certain foreigners to come live and work in Spain, which simplifies things - such as not having to report my foreign income on my Spanish tax return (which I will still have to file, of course).

Maybe you can answer a curiosity I have - it seems that one benefits from getting a digital ID for interactions with various Spanish government web sites. How does one go about it?

Thanks,
Jay

[chris(madrid)]

Originally Posted by libove

Maybe you can answer a curiosity I have - it seems that one benefits from getting a digital ID for interactions with various Spanish government web sites. How does one go about it?

It's a minefield for NON-SPANIARDS still. I'm involved in the requirements to make the facilities available for DIGICARD owners as of 1/1/2010. The Dg of the association of Notarios admits that it is going to be VERY hard to implement for foreigners - especially ANGLO SAXONS.

YOU CAN however apply for a DIGITAL CERTIFICATE from the "Fabrica Nacional de Moneda y Timbres" (FNMT) http://www.cert.fnmt.es/index.php?ch...n_cert&lang=en

[libove]

EDIT!! I'm embarassed... actually, the CERES form was perfectly happy with my NIE ... once I waited long enough for the certificate enrollment ActiveX Control to download and instantiate...

Former, now wrong comment I made...:
Heh heh. You were right. That form won't accept my NIE. I sent email to the CERES contact address requesting assistance (in Spanish). I'll follow up here when they answer...


Anyway, What is DIGICARD?
Jay

[chris(madrid)]

Originally Posted by libove

Anyway, What is DIGICARD?
Jay

Its real name is the DNIe (the Spanish DNI with a microchip in it that contains a DNI specific Digital Cert) - but digicard rolls off the tongue better than DAY-ANY-EE-AY dont you think?.