https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Spain in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed Tens of thousands of 'autónomos' took to the streets of 40 Spanish cities this week to protest against a system they say is "suffocating" them. https://www.thelocal.es/20260305/suffocated-why-spains-self-employed-workers-are-protesting Thu, 05 Mar 2026 10:29:31 +0100 suffocated-why-spains-self-employed-workers-are-protesting Any self-employed person knows it's very difficult to completely switch off and not do any work at all, but if you do work while on sick leave, it could have serious consequences. https://www.thelocal.es/20250922/why-self-employed-in-spain-should-never-work-if-on-medical-leave Mon, 22 Sep 2025 12:15:32 +0200 why-self-employed-in-spain-should-never-work-if-on-medical-leave It’s illegal to earn below the minimum wage in Spain if you’re a full-time employee, but if you’re an 'autónomo' do you still have to register and pay tax when you're not earning much money? https://www.thelocal.es/20221018/self-employed-in-spain-do-i-have-to-register-and-pay-tax-if-i-earn-below-minimum-wage Tue, 18 Oct 2022 16:33:21 +0200 self-employed-in-spain-do-i-have-to-register-and-pay-tax-if-i-earn-below-minimum-wage If you're nearing retirement age in Spain and work for yourself, you may want to consider Spain's active retirement scheme for the self-employed. Here's how it works. https://www.thelocal.es/20250813/working-retirement-the-best-pension-option-for-self-employed-workers-in-spain Wed, 13 Aug 2025 15:14:14 +0200 working-retirement-the-best-pension-option-for-self-employed-workers-in-spain It's difficult enough being self-employed in Spain, but did you know you'll earn significantly less in pension payments at the end of your working life too? https://www.thelocal.es/20250806/why-spains-self-employed-get-a-far-lower-pension-than-employees Wed, 06 Aug 2025 12:09:36 +0200 why-spains-self-employed-get-a-far-lower-pension-than-employees If you’re registered as self-employed in Spain and your business is doing well, you might start thinking about hiring employees to help you out. Here's everything you need to know about how to go about it. https://www.thelocal.es/20230123/how-to-hire-someone-if-youre-self-employed-in-spain Mon, 23 Jan 2023 18:24:32 +0100 how-to-hire-someone-if-youre-self-employed-in-spain Here are nine niche and uncomplicated ideas that have found success overseas but are still fairly novel in Spain. https://www.thelocal.es/20221130/nine-bright-business-ideas-that-havent-been-exploited-in-spain-yet Wed, 30 Nov 2022 14:32:38 +0100 nine-bright-business-ideas-that-havent-been-exploited-in-spain-yet New social security contributions, a tax to top up pension funds, a reduction in retention rates for artists - 2023 will bring many developments for all self-employed workers in Spain. https://www.thelocal.es/20230125/everything-that-changes-for-self-employed-people-in-spain-this-year Wed, 25 Jan 2023 16:56:21 +0100 everything-that-changes-for-self-employed-people-in-spain-this-year From 2023, all salaried or self-employed in Spain will have to pay an extra tax to help fill up the country's pension fund. Find out how much it will be and why Spanish authorities are introducing it. https://www.thelocal.es/20221202/the-new-tax-all-workers-in-spain-will-pay-in-2023 Fri, 02 Dec 2022 13:09:15 +0100 the-new-tax-all-workers-in-spain-will-pay-in-2023 With more people than ever working from home in Spain, one of the main doubts among contract employees, autónomos and remote workers is whether the companies they work for should cover their home internet, electricity and other work costs. https://www.thelocal.es/20221117/should-my-employer-cover-my-bills-if-i-work-from-home-in-spain Thu, 17 Nov 2022 11:48:41 +0100 should-my-employer-cover-my-bills-if-i-work-from-home-in-spain