# council tax



## shirley1 (Mar 29, 2016)

Hi I have heard about services charges in spain for the upkeep of the area, but is there anything like the UKs yearly council tax


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## thrax (Nov 13, 2008)

Yes there is but normally only paid by owner not a tenant. But, it is far far cheaper than UK council tax. The tax where we live is a hideous €120 a year. Some places can be more expensive and others cheaper. But if you are planning on moving here it is something to keep in mind but not worry unduly about.


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

It is called IBI here - it's based mainly on the size of the property but also other factors such as the area it is in (rural areas are cheaper than urban because they don't have as many facilities). I live in a 169sqm house in a town and my IBI bill is €570 per year (which is a lot less than I used to pay for a much smaller house in the UK), and thanks to a local authority discount scheme I only have to pay €328 of that.

The main thing to bear in mind is that it varies so much from town to town and property to property that nobody can really give you a realistic idea of how much you would have to pay. If you intend to buy a house, you need to check with the estate agent how much the annual bill would be - they should have a copy of the owner's most recent bill.

Some towns also have separate rubbish collection charges, but mine doesn't, it is included in the IBI bill here.


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## The Skipper (Nov 26, 2014)

Lynn R said:


> It is called IBI here - it's based mainly on the size of the property but also other factors such as the area it is in (rural areas are cheaper than urban because they don't have as many facilities). I live in a 169sqm house in a town and my IBI bill is €570 per year (which is a lot less than I used to pay for a much smaller house in the UK), and thanks to a local authority discount scheme I only have to pay €328 of that.
> 
> The main thing to bear in mind is that it varies so much from town to town and property to property that nobody can really give you a realistic idea of how much you would have to pay. If you intend to buy a house, you need to check with the estate agent how much the annual bill would be - they should have a copy of the owner's most recent bill.
> 
> Some towns also have separate rubbish collection charges, but mine doesn't, it is included in the IBI bill here.


Don't forget also that there may be community charges in addition to IBI if you live on an urbanisation or an apartment block.


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## AllHeart (Nov 22, 2013)

Here's an article that gives you all the basics on this tax:

Real Estate Tax (IBI) in Spain. Tips by our English-speaking solicitors | iAbogado


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