Spanish tax

[watsonbeau]

Am aware from past cruises that in Spanish waters/ports additional tax is charged onboard.
 

Asking as the book of visages has a post on there which implies that it will apply on every day of a cruise that starts and ends in Barcelona - not just when the ship is in Spanish waters/ports. This would add a huge amount to any onboard spending over 14 days if that is indeed the case. 
 

I was looking at a Barcelona-Barcelona trip but if that’s really the situation with Spanish tax I will look at a different itinerary.

 

Thank you

[Victoria2]

Departing Southampton, pre Covid, the Spanish tax was only applicable in Spanish waters but we did port in non Spanish ports.

Is it just different when on a round trip from a Spanish port? Does a non Spanish port have to be included to avoid a cruise wide imposition of the tax?

Edited October 6, 2022 by Victoria2

[carlmm]

Yes, the Spanish VAT applied to all purchases on my recent Barcelona to Barcelona cruise.

To avoid this, there must be at least one non EU port.

Thus there were 10% added to all drinks in addition to the 15% service charge.

21 % is the rate for any items one buys in the photogallery or in the shops, yet for the later the prices were reduced accordingly "on this voyage only" to get back to the original price.

[watsonbeau]

Great info thank you.  In that case I will likely look at something else as the one I was looking at visits Spain,  France and Italy so no non EU ports unfortunately!

[Host Hattie]

2 hours ago, Victoria2 said:

Departing Southampton, pre Covid, the Spanish tax was only applicable in Spanish waters but we did port in non Spanish ports.

Is it just different when on a round trip from a Spanish port? Does a non Spanish port have to be included to avoid a cruise wide imposition of the tax?

That's been the case on this Southampton round trip.

[watsonbeau]

Hattie do you mean it was only charged in Spanish ports/waters so not throughout the cruise - since Southampton is not an EU port? Sorry if not reading correctly. Thank you 

[Host Hattie]

13 minutes ago, watsonbeau said:

Hattie do you mean it was only charged in Spanish ports/waters so not throughout the cruise - since Southampton is not an EU port? Sorry if not reading correctly. Thank you 

Yes, the 10% was only charged when in Spanish ports

[exlondoner]

23 minutes ago, Host Hattie said:

Yes, the 10% was only charged when in Spanish ports

And in my experience the restaurant staff are very good about not charging lunch time drinks until the evening, when one is safely at sea. In fact they tend to do this anyway.

[Host Hattie]

13 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

And in my experience the restaurant staff are very good about not charging lunch time drinks until the evening, when one is safely at sea. In fact they tend to do this anyway.

I don't think that works in the regular restaurants or bars. We had 3 Spanish ports on this trip and we definitely paid the tax at least once.

[exlondoner]

6 minutes ago, Host Hattie said:

I don't think that works in the regular restaurants or bars. We had 3 Spanish ports on this trip and we definitely paid the tax at least once.

No, I don’t see how it could work in the bars.

[2Oldpeopleinlove]

We are on the QE right now, and the Spanish VAT is announced by signs to apply every day of the week we’re on board. That is the main reason we bought the beverage package before boarding. 

[techteach]

Wow! I know some politicians who would like to raise government revenues. They need to learn from the Spanish.

[steamboats]

Actually it´s an EU law to charge the VAT. But Spain (and in some way Italy) are the only ones who enforce this.

 

The Spanish VAT (10% or 21%) will be added for the whole cruise for closed loop cruises out of a Spanish port which has no non EU port on the itinerary (like Gibraltar, Turkey, Morocco, Tunisia).

 

For all other cruises (like out of Southampton which is non EU anyway) you are only charged the VAT when you are within the 3 mile zone of a Spanish port or in a Spanish port.

 

steamboats

[exlondoner]

4 hours ago, steamboats said:

Actually it´s an EU law to charge the VAT. But Spain (and in some way Italy) are the only ones who enforce this.

 

The Spanish VAT (10% or 21%) will be added for the whole cruise for closed loop cruises out of a Spanish port which has no non EU port on the itinerary (like Gibraltar, Turkey, Morocco, Tunisia).

 

For all other cruises (like out of Southampton which is non EU anyway) you are only charged the VAT when you are within the 3 mile zone of a Spanish port or in a Spanish port.

 

steamboats

They don’t seem to charge it in the Canaries, despite it being part of Spain.

[Victoria2]

3 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

They don’t seem to charge it in the Canaries, despite it being part of Spain.

They're not part of EU VAT taxation zone.

[steamboats]

7 minutes ago, Victoria2 said:

They're not part of EU VAT taxation zone.

 

Exactly!

 

steamboats

[techteach]

Very convoluted— States can’t tax interstate commerce according to DH. So much for my scheme to raise tax revenue on visitors.