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I was wondering what the annual property tax (council tax) is for a typical 3 bedroom villa in the costa blanca or costa-del-sol region of Spain?
Can someone tell me which websites have information showing the council tax rates (annual property tax) on properties in the various regions of Spain, thankyou.
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Hello,
The council tax is dependent of each individual town hall and the land value of the area and the individual property. What you could do is get a rough idea by finding out which town hall has jurisdiction over a particular development that interests you.
From there you could get a rough idea by enquiring directly with the town hall or the administrative body that manages council tax in that area. i.e in Alicante many times it is administered by SUMA.
http://www.suma.es/PortalWeb/cuerpo_principal.xhtml;jsessionid=E2A400BFBC2FA50A1F72D2C963037222
Council tax in Spain is known as “Impuesto de bienes inmuebles”, or IBI. Council rates are not generally as high as they are in the UK however there are some areas where the town halls have raised the land values considerably meaning that council rates are higher than other municipalities. Javea / Moraira are areas that this has happened in the Alicante region.
I therefore recommend that before you complete on a property that you establish the possible costs of council rates especially in the Marbella / Málaga area as well where similar land value increases have occurred.
I Manage several properties in the Alicante area. As a rough idea
2 bed apartment in San Juan: 290 euros per year
2 bed apartment in Alicante town centre: 400 euros per year
4 bed villa in Alicante: 1.200 euros per year
3 Bed townhouse in Alicante area: between 500 and 850 euros per year….These are just rough rates based on my experience with paying these bills on behalf of owners in the area however each development and area requires further investigation into how much the council rates are. Your legal or fiscal representative who oerlooks your sale will be able to find this out easier.
Be aware that some town hall charge the rubbish collection rates separately (Recogida de residuos sólidos) (Recibo de Basura) So assure that this is covered too.
I hope this sheds some light on the matter
Good luck
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The advantage of using a Spanish lawyer based in the UK is that they are regulated by the UK law society. This means that they are under a very strict obligation to provide a reputable service to their clients. What better safe guard can there be? A UK citizen who is buying in Spain with the ability to be able to make a claim to the law society if they feel that they have not received appropriate representation.
Yes El colegio de abogados offers similar safe guards however is not common ground for a non resident. I am simply thinking of what I would prefer if I was in the shoes of an overseas investor. The appropriate representation is so important nowadays.
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: don’t be ridiculous; why on earth would a UK lawyer be a good idea?; what local knowledge would he/she have?? Would an Italian use an Italy based lawyer for a property purchase in Brasil/ Poland etc ; NO…………
Like any Property market Spain’s is very complex and prone to regional differences………. only a Spanish law firm should be used; or a conveyancing firm for that matter…………….. Also, the UK based lawyer would need someone on the ground for preliminary searches and would normally attend the signing at the notary……… MORE EXPENSES for the poor Brit buying here………..
This is just a another UK lawyer trawling for business in the lucrative waters of Spain!!!!!!!!! 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄
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(Ubeda) I have not recommended a “UK lawyer” my post clearly says “using a Spanish lawyer based in the UK”.
Just to put some facts straight as a result of some misleading comments,
The lawyer I have recommended to “desolation”, is a Spanish lawyer, a qualified UK solicitor and UK notary public, regulated by the UK law society. Negligence is therefore very much covered (Shakeel)
His legal fees are practically the same as many of the Spanish based firms I have come across and attends the majority of the signings personally.
(Katy) I think it is unfair that you put down the services of ALL UK lawyers and some may actually find that comment offensive or even Libelous. 😀
At the end of the day the choice is up to the client and not us. We ALL have a duty to provide the best and correct advice.
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After discussing the matter further with a Spanish law firm based in the UK I provide you all with the comments they made (just to wrap things up)
Obviously everyone is entitled to their opinion , but we must remember it is only that: “an opinion”. In this case, I do not believe that the opinion expressed is necessarily based on actual knowledge of the way lawyers work or of the standards of service they are required to provide.
There are some main differences between Abogados and Solicitors who have specialized in the provision of overseas legal services (and there are many, not just dealing with Spanish law , but also Italian, Portuguese and the laws of many other jurisdictions here in the UK for the benefit of clients with legal interests abroad)
For a person based in the UK the main concern is to ensure that the professional adviser engaged is available and accountable in respect of the work carried out. Solicitors are members of the superior courts of Justice of England and Wales, and therefore the professional duty of care to their clients is that of a court officer. In other words the standard is even higher.
Solicitors conversant with Spanish law act as bridge between the English legal system and the Spanish legal system being able to explain to clients what to expect in a language they understand.
Solicitors are regulated by the SRA and are obliged to carry a minimum of 2 Million pounds professional indemnity cover . Spanish Abogados do not have such a level compulsory provision . Solicitors are governed by very clear and transparent rules regarding solution of any disagreement with their clients within the UK.
Ultimately it is a matter of what clients want. If they are happy with the long distance communications and the service of a someone who is less accountable, then that is up to them. Much comes down to “individual taste”.
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I remember that some who used solicitors based in the UK still finished by having an illegal property. I wonder if anyone got any compensation?
Some info here from another UK law firm.
http://www.billjacksoninternational.com/images/selling%20in%20spain.pdf
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Sorry but in any of my posts did I say one was better than the other? Did I actually say anything against Spanish abogados? I have merely made a recommendation of one of the best lawyers there are when it comes to non resident representation, He happens to be based in the UK. Next time depending on the situation I may recommend a Spanish lawyer based in Spain, who knows it all depends on what that person appears to need….
I did not ask to talk about any other lawyers in the UK,Spain or Portugal. My recommendation was to one SPANISH LAW FIRM BASED IN THE UK REGULATED BY THE RSA. A recommendation based on my personal experience with that particular firm.
I have no interest in hearing about horror stories of other law firms in the UK or in Spain or get into a debate about who has the loudest voice. My goal is simply to attend the visitors that need help. Isn´t that what this is for?
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@icarus wrote:
Next time depending on the situation I may recommend a Spanish lawyer based in Spain, who knows it all depends on what that person appears to need….
Or if there is some advantage to you 😆
I did not ask to talk about any other lawyers in the UK,Spain or Portugal. My recommendation was to one SPANISH LAW FIRM BASED IN THE UK REGULATED BY THE RSA. A recommendation based on my personal experience with that particular firm.
Of course you didn’t ASK…it’s an open forum. You cannot control how a thread develops
Whatever your “goal” is I suggest you confine that to your own website and stop spamming this one 💡
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I am dubious as well Shakeel and agree with you entirely regarding your question about whether the Colegio de abogados would pay up?.
My biggest concern is that in my experience I have also witnessed knowledgeable people with good language skills and a clear understanding of the Spanish legal system however are not lawyers and not registered with El Colegio de Abogados or are qualified to practice as a lawyer but have not paid the insurance premium.
This therefore creates an even bigger problem to the client at the time of finding out that you have been misrepresented….. The answer to your question in that case is a definite NO.
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