being self employed

[Jan]

can any one tell me if i HAVE to be self employed when only selling things that i have made or painted
and where the best i.e. cheapest place is to get insurance for "public liability" for a stall as i have been told i need this

[Sandrine]

Hi Jan,
A very good question! I have sent an email to the other Spanish members to see if anyone knows. Keep checking this space for any replies.
Lots of love,
Sandrine.

[Phil Burgess]

I hope no one from the Hacienda is reading this but from our experience recently I would stay illegal and risk it. From the insurance angle I can see why it is best to have it in case someone is injured by your stall in some way. Sorry if this is negative but I think you have to way up how much income is coming from your sales against getting entangled in the Spanish bureaucracy. It can be a nightmare and if you challenge the Hacienda they will always end up being right.

[Jan]

hi Phil
to later i am already in the system
we work the spanish market but i know what you mean some days i do wonder if its the right way to go but thanks for the input
jan

[Veronica]

Hi Jan,
I too am an artist and livede here for 20 years. I agree with Phil ty to avoid getting into too much officialdom. As I have learned, Small is Beautfil, Simplicity works and pretending to be a bit dumb helps when there is a confrontation. I wish you all the best.
Veronica

[Jan]

thanks
i think next year i will come out of the system ...all depends on how much i can earn ...as always
anyway thankyou i really like your white village picture
and pretending to be a bit dumb should come quite easy
all the best jan

[Sandrine]

Hi Jan,
Still trying to find some info for you. It seems that if you are selling your own art, you might not need to be autonomo but a Gestoria might be able to shed some lights on that. Also, regarding the liability insurance, a Gestoria should be able to do it for you at very little cost. A friend of mine who has just opened Andalucia handmade soap shop in Ronda got one organised through her gestor and it's only costing her 150 euros for a year. And the gestor normally charges about 20 euros for his/her work.
I am still waiting to hear from other friends, so as soon as I have more news, I'll post it.
Lots of love,
Sandrine.

[Sandrine]

Hi jan,
Finaly got an answer from a friend! You can get Liability insurance at any big insurance companies and it seems that it is not too expensive. You need to ask for "seguro de responsibilidad civil por venta ambulante". This friend gets hers through Santa lucia in Estepona, but she thinks that it will be the same in any big insurance company.
Regarding being autonomo or not, still no more info... Let us know if you find out anything at a Gestor.
Lots of love,
Sandrine.

[Jan]

hiya
thanks alot for that i will ask on tuesday when i go to torre del mar
and also say thanks to your friends
sometimes i really wish i hadnt gone legal
but i am sure i will find away ...
jan

[Sandrine]

Hiya Jan,
Bless you, I am sure it will turn out to be ok in the end. Here's more info regarding being autonomo: it seems that if it's a hobby, then you could get away with it. But still the best thing you could do is go and see an accountant, gestor, who will be able to tell you which bracket you come under and wether there are any special exemptions for arts and crafts products as hobby or otherwise.
Good luck and let us know how you get on!
Lots of love,
Sandrine.