This is a website for buyers, owners, and sellers of property in Spain, offering reliable information and resources to help you get things done with confidence. It is run by Mark Stücklin, author of the Spanish Property Doctor Column in The Sunday Times (2005-2008), and the book ‘Need to Know: Buying Property in Spain’ published by Collins.
The tax increase was introduced without warning on Saturday 31 December, and went largely unnoticed until now.
Whilst the central government in Madrid is making noises about reducing the sales tax (ITP) on resale properties to bring it more in line with VAT rates on new property (4pc), the regional government in Andalucia has introduced a sneaky increase in the ITP rate making it more expensive to buy a resale property in Andalucia.
As a result of this change, someone buying a resale property in Andalucia for €1 million will now pay €89,000 in ITP, and increase of €13,000, or 17pc more than last year.
This makes the tax difference between new builds, which incur VAT, and resales wider than ever. VAT on a new home costing €1 million would be just €40,000, compared to €89,000 of ITP for a resale property. So Andalucia’s tax policy discriminates heavily against private vendors in favour of banks and developers selling new homes.
The sneaky way in which the tax was introduced, without warning on Saturday 31 December, speaks volumes about how popular this tax increase is going to be. It is likely to increase the popularity of undeclared cash payments, something that had been on the decline for years.
The following table sums up the changes in Andalucia’s ITP tax.
Campbell D Ferguson, FRICS, www.surveyspain.com says:
Possibly done under pressure from banks and builders as it will make new property seem cheaper as against Resales. However, the poor buyer will then find that they are in instant negative equity. Short term thought.
Terry says:
The Spanish don´t have a clue do they. This, after the change in law that says you must turn up personally to get an NIE number. How is anybody supposed to sell a house in Spain to a foreign investor and still the illegal homes debacle carries on. Stupid, silly and shooting one´s self in the foot, all the time.
Paul Wentworth says:
Spot on Campbell! but of course i’m more inclined to think that,given the historical events in this area ,some very powerful lobbying from both ‘inside’ and outside the the regional authority has brought this about. Very clever timing during ‘Navidad’!, Brits are used to this with all UK gov when they wish to enact some bad legislation.