Lanzarote Relocation

What is the difference between a Gestoria and a lawyer in Lanzarote?

A Gestoria (which is pronounced as Hestoria) is a company that has been qualified to work and obtain certain legal documentation. A Gestoria can apply for licences (for businesses), permits, certificates and many of the paperwork that can be required by the authorities in Lanzarote. They are qualified and should have a level of training to handle this paperwork.

The paperwork that the Gestoria normally would cover would be personal or on a small business scale. It could be applying to transfer a car from one owner to another or even a business from one owner to another. Much of this paperwork can be done by a lawyer and even by yourself, but the Gestoria is there to ensure that the paperwork being presented is correct which will avoid dissapointment, cost and delays. Many Gestorias work closely with a lawyer and so often when a lawyer has completed work on your behalf they will pass the paperwork side (not contracting) over to the Gestor to work with you either on one single case or often covering your business. The fees and charges of a Gestoria are usually less than a lawyer and in Lanzarote you may find that one monthly payment will cover any work that you do with a particular Gestoria’s office.

A Gestoria can help towards your accountancy as well and are able to file your income tax declarations or other required tax forms. They are also often helpful when handling any of the particular town halls on the island and often have a working relationship with certain offices to be able to deal with enquiries quickly to benefit not only the clients but the administration time of the office in question.

You can legally work without the help of a Gestoria and it is not unheard of after a number of years for people to reduce the work they put through a Gestoria’s office in order to reduce their own costs. However in the early days it is not recommended to try and do things on your own and many of the horror stories of businesses being closed down are represented by owners themselves or Spanish speaking friends.

A Gestoria is not a lawyer or a tax consultant and although will help work through accounts with their clients and prepare income tax declarations and tax forms, it is you that will sign the form and understand the declaration that is being made. You are liable for the paperwork prepared for you by a Gestoria and so it can be advisable in some situations to seek specialist advice from a qualified professional and talk directly with a lawyer or tax consultant.

Many thanks to Phil at Lanzarote Business Sales for yet another informative article.

Gestorias and Lawyers in Lanzarote – List

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