Spanish Practices

I recently enjoyed a great flying trip from North Weald, through France to Asturias in Spain and back to the UK via the West Coast of France and Guernsey.

This was organised by the North Weald Flying Group whom I joined in earlier in the year.

Everything went pretty-much to plan until our 7-aircraft formation stopped-off to refuel at Santander.

Despite the City's association with finance, the local fuelling company don't take credit cards which wouldn't be too bad were it not for the fact that they have a big bureaucratic problem will handing cash.

Before any fuel can flow, an extensive form needs to be completed with names, addresses, passport details, inside leg measurement and (wait for it!!) a tax or VAT number.

The last item caused some consternation as few individuals remember to take VAT numbers on holiday and nobody was quite sure what was actually meant by a tax number.

This procedure was apparently required by 'money laundering' regulations though I doubt that the 'rotters' who indulge in this practice would choose the method of buying aircraft fuel in £100 lots.

After various National Insurance Numbers were tried and rejected by the fueller's hand-held computer, a valid VAT number was obtained with a quick telephone call to the UK, and then used for all 7 aircraft.

It appears that any valid VAT number will serve the purpose as nobody seems to care whether it relates to the individual buyer.

Bureaucratic honour having been satisfied, the process of filling in the form, entering the data into the computer, fuelling the aircraft, generating the invoice and taking cash payment took the 3-man fuelling team about 30 minutes per aircraft.

Refuelling at Asturias a couple of days later was a lot easier―it was the same fuelling company but we had our trusty VAT number and a single fueller was able to accomplish the same task in about 10 minutes per aircraft.

At San Sebastian, credit cards were taken (no VAT number, etc, required) though the fueller insisted on filling all 7 aircraft before repairing to his office to prepare the bills individually.

I now have a much better understanding of the expression 'Spanish Practices'.

Castillo d'Abbadie
(photographed shortly after take-off from San Sebastian)

 

PSSST!! Anybody want to buy a VAT number.

 

Comments

[Cliff]

Seems Santander is running the same racket that Malaga police were investigating some time ago.

They take a valid foreign VAT number but charge the VAT inclusive price anyway. Then they pocket the VAT.

Presumably the police haven't got as far as Santander yet.

[Les King]

Hi Cliff

I would be interested in a link to that story, if there is one available.

Not quite sure how anybody would benefit from the buyer having a VAT number as this doesn't actually exempt the buyer from paying VAT - In the UK, at least, the registered person or company is required to claim any input VAT on their VAT return and this would only be allowable for legitimate business expenses.