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Best chef
Regional Wealth Tax scrapped
The Junta de Andalucía has scrapped a wealth tax in a bid to attract high earners to the region . From September 21 , around 17,000 wealthy residents and non-resident home owners no longer have to pay el impuesto de patrimonio on wealth of more than € 700,000 . more than make up for the lost revenue .
The Tax Agency says 19,000 people paid Wealth Tax in Andalucía in their 2020 declarations , up 1.4 per cent on the previous year . They paid a total of € 93.3 million , an average of € 5,561 Wealth Tax per person .
Dabiz Muñoz ( pictured ) retained his title as Spain ’ s best chef at a ceremony in Spain last month . Hundreds of chefs from around the world gathered to see Muñoz triumph once again in Madrid where he and his team run Restaurante DiverXO in the city ’ s Chamartín district . The Best Chef Awards recognised the work of many other chefs in a wide variety of categories and are voted for by industry experts .
Camp uncovered
A Roman military camp thought to date back to AD75 has appeared from a drought-hit reservoir in Galicia . The falling water level has revealed Aquis Querquennis which been studied by archaeologists over the years . The settlement is believed to have housed around 600 soldiers at a time when the Roman Empire was at its peak in Europe .
Rock restricted
Access to rocks at Málaga ’ s Peñon del Cuerco beach is to restricted after 24- year-old man was seriously injured after jumping from them into the sea last month . He is reported to have hit his head on the seabed and was knocked unconscious . The victim , who suffered a spinal injury in the incident , is from north Africa and was on an outing with a group of refugees from the city .
Standing again
Málaga ’ s mayor , Francisco de la Torre , has confirmed that he will stand for election again next year . Sr de la Torre , now 79 , has already run five times since 2003 . The announcement last month quashed rumours that he planned to retire ahead of the 2024 council elections .
The president of the regional government said last month that the move would make Andalucía the Spanish region with fewest taxes after Madrid and with the exception of the Basque Country . Juanma Moreno said the wealth tax has accounted for just 0.6 per cent of tax revenues and that abolishing it will encourage increased revenue and investment . The taxes imposed on 7,000 new wealthy residents attracted by the change , he added , will
Doñana dries up
The drought in Andalucía has hit hard at the Doñaña national park , one of Europe ’ s most important wetlands . The National Research Council ( CSIC ) said last month that the Santa Olalla lake had dried up for the first time in 50 years and that , as a result , the area has been abandoned by aquatic birds .
The park covers 130,000 hectares in the provinces of Huelva , Seville and Cádiz and its water supplies over the last three decades have been seriously affected by farming , pollution from mining , the draining of marshes and climate change . Environmental groups have been protesting against the government ’ s decision to regularise illegal wells which had been dug by local fruit farmers , so putting stress on the aquifer .
The CSIC says that this continuous exploitation of the aquifer for intensive agriculture and human
Sr Moreno said he would also immediately adjust the personal tax thresholds in the three lowest tax bands ( up to € 35,200 ) by 4.3 per cent . In addition , the water canon will be suspended next year saving families and small business some € 140 million .
Soltalk advises readers to consult a tax expert to assess the impact of the changes on their personal circumstances .
consumption , plus years of low rainfall , mean that Doñana ’ s temporary lakes are disappearing and those which are normally permanent
are under threat . The Council is also calling on restrictions on tourist access from the resort of Matalascañas which borders the park .
The permanent lagoons normally serve as a refuge for all the wildlife of Doñana which includes not only birds but several species of aquatic animals and plants . In addition , the lack of water has caused a loss of rice fields , which account for a third of the area and which , like the lagoons , constitute a safe point for the park ’ s fauna .
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