Andorra, the routine refuge of the nouveau riche

ANDORRA LA VELLA.- Joao laughs when, leaning against the door of his van, he is asked about the youtubers the Spaniards moved to Andorra. The Els Vilars urbanization, facing the sun which rises behind the mountains, dominates the valley where the capital of the country is spread out. “This chalet is that of El Rubius”he said, pointing to a modern three-story cube without the traditional slate roof. Joao, a Portuguese, enters the house to continue working. He is the plumber of Rubén Doblas, The Rubius, “A kind and humble boy”, who, according to the story, pays 8,000 euros in rent for the house.

Andorrans, who are generally jealous of their privacy – and respect that of others -, are a little fed up with the question. youtuber. But not boys, who work from the rooms of their chalets quietly and also “bring wealth to the country,” says Josep Vidal, a retired foot, as he walks the narrow sidewalks of Els Vilars to his home. The most practical here is to use the car, which is the most common way to spot an influencer. Some like Julio CorbachoThey drive eye-catching vehicles: a gold-chrome Porsche with personalized license plate (CORBA). Others, like TheGrefg, move discreetly in their Fiat panda 4×4, one of the most viewed models on the steep streets of Andorra.

“The construction of this urbanization started 40 years ago. There were always people with money, but not so much. The wealth is brought in by people from the outside, who among other things buy these houses, ”says Vidal of the cranes that rise up the mountainside and into the valley, where two towers are built – also with Portuguese sweat . With luxury apartments that challenge the Andorra skyline de la Vella: “Can you imagine being able to touch the sky?” The same in urbanizations: Andorra has become a country open to the outside world, which drains the scarce land available to accommodate those who can afford it.

The country of Pyrenees Is under construction. The highly skilled professionals who are moving there more and more – attracted, at least initially, by a lower tax burden – need housing to live. There are about ten YouTubers. It is true that there are some of the most popular in Spain, with scandalous audiences and millionaire incomes, but they are still a handful of children; the folkloric element which, in addition, provoked a new clash between Spain and Andorra, accustomed to dealing with two giants with a silk glove.

United We Can – a coalition government partner – demand for Andorra to return to the list of Spanish tax havens to prevent capital flight has angered local politicians.

“Everyone decides freely where they live and where they work. I will not hide that we are trying to be competitive, ”explains Andorran Finance Minister Eric Jover, from an office which can be accessed without any security measures. “We are keeping the tradition that anyone can come in and talk to the government.” Jover claims, without raising his voice too much, the opportunity represented by the arrival of professionals with high purchasing power in the country, where income tax, as well as that of companies, is 10%. “They create wealth, they help us diversify the economy and prosper.” It guarantees that the Andorran road is “legitimate” and cites EU members such as the Netherlands, Ireland or Luxembourg, with comparable levels of taxation

The Andorran opening not limited to youtubers and other content creators, such as the personal trainer Patry jordan. The bulk is made up of anonymous professionals: in the chalet next to El Rubius, adds the plumber, lives the creator of a famous brand of jewelry. Lately digital marketing experts, engineers, desarrolladores informáticos, gerentes de multinacionales —atraídos por la posibilidad del teletrabajo que ha brindado la pandemia—, pero también empresarios … y, por supuesto, deportistas de elite, sobre todo ciclistas, que encuentran en este entornar montañoso para “un lugién train “.

Maybe they’re coming for taxes. In his videos, some youtubers This is how they put it: they don’t know how long their successful career will last and they think paying half their salary in taxes is crazy; a message that worries the Treasury because it reaches the youngest without filter. But influencers also stay, for other reasons. “Andorra is my home. I feel safe and calm. In the evening we go out to dinner, the food is fantastic. Spain has a problem with the talent drain, ”said David Cánovas, from Murcia, TheGrefg in a recent interview with Diari from Andorra.

Diplomatic, the minister does not come in to assess whether Spain is playing the game well. Andorra, he said, has its strengths beyond budgetary competitiveness. Paint a little paradise: “We have the best healthcare system in the world, according to The Lancet. The fiber optic network covers the whole country. The ski slopes are fabulous, as is the environment. 95% of the pupils attend public school, which is of high quality ”. It helps, recognizes, the proximity of large cities, well connected, like Barcelona or Toulouse.

The school is one of the “informal” spaces that allow these foreign professionals to connect, exchange ideas and propose projects to the government. This allows a “cosmopolitan environment” to emerge, says Pere Picó, director of the Andorran Center for Research in Sociological Studies (CRES). “Before, the elderly came from northern Europe to retire because they liked the climate. Now they are entering the labor phase ”. Picó admits that the demographic configuration – the elite live in isolated urbanizations – makes social contact difficult. “The impact on the street is relative,” he explains, except for a teenager who timidly asks for a YouTuber’s autograph.

The Andorran government admits that its tax system is competitive, although “homologable”. The IRPF rate is 10% for those who bill more than 40,000 euros per year. Corporate tax is also 10% (compared to 25% in Spain). Unlike Spain and other EU countries, there are no “special regimes”, says Finance Minister Eric Jover, who denies “unfair competition”.

To benefit from these advantages, youtubers and other professionals must reside in Andorra, which means that must live there at least 183 days per year. Jover assures that the government checks that “the residence is real” through investigations and police work on the ground. When it is proved that the residence is fictitious, as happens on certain occasions, the respondent cannot renew his residence.

© El País, SL

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