Phil Martin moved to the Basque Country in northwestern Spain, which is far more like his own rainy Manchester than the Mediterranean beach resorts beloved of other Britons.
Like many other highly skilled Britons who made the move, he was drawn by a 50 per cent tax reduction offered by the government of the Basque Autonomous Community to those settling in the region’s Biscay province.
Furthermore last week the Basque Country raised the obligation to file a tax return to €20,000 (£16,776), a figure that in the UK stands at £12,570.
“With my current job, [the tax perks] work out at €200 to €300 (£170-£255) more in my wage packet every month. It is because they are interested in getting highly skilled people,” he told The i Paper.
Dr Martin said he would prefer to be in the Basque Country than on the Spanish Costas.
Phil Martin, who moved to the Basque Country from the UK, was drawn by a 50 per cent tax reductionIn addition to the tax incentives, Britons are being pushed to leave the UK by factors including the rising cost of living.
Brexit is one of the factors that have encouraged Spaniards in the UK to move back to Spain. In 2019, before the Brexit agreement came into force, 4,000 Basque workers lived in the UK but by last year only 79 skilled Spanish workers had migrated from the region to Britain.
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Ivan Jimenez, director of Bizkaia Talent, a public-private partnership to attract talent, said: “Beyond these financial benefits, quality of life plays a critical role. Added to this is the rising cost of living since Brexit which has led many to reconsider where they can build a stable and fulfilling professional and personal life.”
Alberto Minguela, 39, a business development manager who has joint British and Spanish nationality, moved to the Basque Country in 2021 with his wife and son after spending 15 years living in London.
“The tax benefits [in the Basque Country] were very attractive. There is 30 per cent off your income tax, then there is another 20 per cent off which you can declare your expenses for the house, your Wi-Fi, language lessons, school fees.”
Mr Minguela’s five-year-old son goes to a private school and he can declare this cost in his tax returns.
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