ANNUAL REAL TAX - RATES ("I.B.I.")

Some examples of I.B.I. Below...

This is a tax (rates) charged by local Councils and paid by property owners.

The IBI is the "Impuesto sobre Bienes Inmuebles", which could be translated as "property tax". This is a municipally levied tax and varies widely from one municipality to another and from one type of property to another. You might for instance, pay as little as 50 euros per year for a simple property in a rural area. While a luxury home on a prime lot in an expensive urban neighbourhood might cost as much as 1,500 to 2,000 year.

If you are not in Spain during much of the year, it is best to arrange a standing order at the bank in order to pay this tax. If you do live here, however, you might get a discount by going in person to make an early payment. In any case, don't wait until the town hall chooses to notify you of the tax as, by then, you might owe late fees.

All property within the Council's area is included on a tax register and is assigned a value (Rateable Value). The amount of tax to be paid is calculated by applying the tax rate set by the Council to this Rateable Value.

A bill is sent out for payment of this tax every year for every property on the tax register. Usually, Councils accept payment of the tax by direct debit from a bank account, which facilitates payment within the time period set and thus avoids any possible surcharges.

The payment deadline depends on the Council, although it is normally around the months of September, October or November each year.