Residents and tourist taxes « Euro Weekly News

Residents and tourist taxes

Residents and tourist taxes. Hotels on a Spanish coastline. Euro Weekly News

Hotels on a Spanish coastline. Photo Credit, Mateusz Walendzik, Pexels

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.

Written by

Donna Leanne Bradley-Brown

Originally from the U.K., Donna Bradley-Brown first moved to Mallorca in 2002. She immediately fell in love with the island and knew it was destined to be her home. Donna is particularly passionate about animals, art and the environment. If you have a news story she would love to hear from you at editorial@euroweeklynews.com [Photo Credit @caroixyz]

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