Residents and tourist taxes

Tourist taxes in Spain have been a controversial issue for residents since they were first enforced. What´s happening now?

Following an announcement on Wednesday by president of the Balearic Government, Marga Prohens, that tourist taxes are set to rise, the government is looking at excluding residents from the scheme.

The tourist tax was introduced in 2016 in an attempt to minimise the effects of mass tourism on nature and the environment by developing projects designed to counteract the damage, and must currently be paid by anyone staying in a hotel or holiday apartment. The tax has been a point of contention for Spanish residents, who don´t believe they should have to pay it, due to the fact that they are already contributing to local taxes.

The Balearic Government is now investigating the possibility of dropping the tax for residents, but will need to liaise with the European Union, which initially argued that it would be considered discrimination for Spanish residents to be exempt from paying the taxes.