Sip card and paying for medicine

Hi

We have been here a couple of months and I claim UK State Pension and my wife is here as my dependent. We both recently got our residence and red SIP cards.

To answer your question as a pensioner It is normal to pay 10% of prescription charges, I did a lot of research into this before we left the UK as I need repeat prescriptions and if you have not paid for prescriptions up to now you have been lucky.

If you live in the Valencia region, are state pensioners, and have an annual income not exceeding 18,000 euros, then prescriptions are free. This rule started in January 2016. However, in order for the authorities to know what your income is, you must file a Spanich tax return.

We are both pensioners, and have lived here for 2 years. We filed our first tax returns this summer. I got our medicines for free for the first time last week.

We have not done a tax return yet so that could be good news for us in the future

Well, I expected to get free medicine pretty soon after the tax returns. When I asked the boss at the pharmacia why I was still paying he said that when the computer says it's free, it's free! He said that all the Spanish computer systems are linked, so you don't have to apply. It's just a case of wait and see, so it was a great surprise when they said that we don't have to pay anymore. By the way, I did ask an accountant and a solicitor but nobody was able to explain the system, some people haven't even heard that it can be free. Our SIP cards have never changed, as we applied for residency as soon as we moved in, and waited a couple of months for the cards.

Blue is the old style SIP which contains limited information. Red is the new style which contains much more information, and can be used throughout Spain. The colour isn't age related.

The prescription print has a bar code required by the chemist - the rest of the data on it is for your information.

You'll never get free prescriptions until you've filed a tax return, which you are legally required to do for your first year of tax residence, even if no tax is due.

You should have done a tax return for your first year of residence, but you'll now have to wait until next April-June to file one for 2017.

Hi all just been informed that you pay 10% if your income is over 18000euros even if a pensioner but you do need to file a tax return every year around April May

If no tax is due, or the amount is small, then there shouldn't be a problem.

If, however, there's a fair bit of tax due, there's nothing to stop them checking when you got residencia, and wondering what your income has been in the years since that date. They can also check on the Inland Revenue database to see what your income has been.

If you should have been paying tax, then ignorance is no excuse. They can go back four years on tax not paid, charge interest, and impose punitive penalties.

If you've once filed a tax return showing no tax is due, then you don't need to file another one until your income is such that you have to pay tax. The entitlement to free prescriptions isn't subject to having filed a tax return for the previous year.

Jim

''The entitlement to free prescriptions isn't subject to having filed a tax return for the previous year.''

Now you have me totally confused. I am in Alicante area and only receive UK state pension. I will get my new SIP card shortly (now 65 new S1) what do I have to do to get free prescriptions. Never filed a tax return, but will in April.

I am at the hospital more than the doctors, blood disorder, stomach problems, now dickie ticker. Pharmacy best customer.