Where in Spain are IBI property tax rates the highest and lowest?
Spain's yearly property tax, known as IBI, varies a lot throughout the country, but in which provincial capitals do people pay the most and where do they pay the least?
IBI stands for Impuesto sobre Bienes Inmuebles in Spanish, which translates to tax on property goods, but it also goes by the name SUMA, depending on where exactly in Spain you live.
It’s effectively a local property tax that has to be paid once a year by all property owners in Spain, and it serves as a benchmark to calculate all other Spanish property-related taxes.
The IBI amount is decided by the town hall in which your property is located, and there can be big differences between municipalities.
READ ALSO: What is Spain’s IBI tax and how do I pay it?
Taking into account the latest IBI data published by the Ministry of Finance in 2022 in the 52 provincial capitals, property giant Fotocasa analysed the numbers to reveal the places with the highest and lowest IBI taxes in the country.
They worked it out by taking the example of a property with a cadastral value of €80,000 and discovered that the average amount of the IBI tax varies between €804 and €320, which is a huge difference.
READ ALSO - EXPLAINED: How to pay less Spanish IBI property tax
Which cities have the most expensive IBI tax?
All of the three most expensive cities for IBI tax can be found in Catalonia, but surprisingly Barcelona does not make the top 10.
The top 10 most expensive places for property tax in the country are:
City Tax rate IBI bill
Girona 1.01 percent €804
Lleida 0.97 percent €773.6
Tarragona 0.95 percent €762.4
Melilla 0.80 percent €640
Ceuta 0.79 percent €632
Ciudad Real 0.79 percent €632
Huelva 0.78 percent €624
Huesca 0.78 percent €624
León 0.77 percent €612.80
Cáceres 0.75 percent €600
Which cities pay the lowest IBI tax?
The top 10 cities with the cheapest IBI tax are:
City Tax rate IBI bill
Santander 0.40 percent €320
Zaragoza 0.40 percent €320
Toledo 0.44 percent €352
Teruel 0.44 percent €352
Palma 0.45 percent €356
Albacete 0.45 percent €356.8
Ourense 0.45 percent €360
Málaga 0.45 percent €360.80
Madrid 0.46 percent €364.80
Burgos 0.46 percent €365.44
One important factor to note is that the Ministry of Finance doesn’t publish information on the tax rates in the Basque Country and Navarra. This means that the cities in these regions are not included in the rankings.
To get an even more accurate figure of the IBI tax paid, it's important to also take into account the large variations in the average price per square metre in each city.
For example, a homeowner in Madrid, where the average price of a property is €449.34 according to Fotocasa, probably ended up paying more in IBI in 2022 than an owner in Girona, where the average price of a property is €264.78, despite Madrid having one of the lowest tax rates for IBI.
This is because homes in Madrid usually have a higher cadastral value than homes in Girona and the price per metre squared is higher.
How can I find out how much IBI tax I need to pay in my city?
If you don't know the IBI tax rates in your municipality and don't want a surprise when you receive your yearly bill, then there are several easy ways to find out.
Fotocasa has a handy online tool that will calculate the range of IBI tax that you should be paying. For this, you'll need to know the cadastral value of your property, which can usually be found on your property deeds. Be aware that this is not the amount you paid for your property, it is a separate value.
Another good way to find out is by going to your local Ayuntamiento or town hall, as they will know the exact rates for your area.
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IBI stands for Impuesto sobre Bienes Inmuebles in Spanish, which translates to tax on property goods, but it also goes by the name SUMA, depending on where exactly in Spain you live.
It’s effectively a local property tax that has to be paid once a year by all property owners in Spain, and it serves as a benchmark to calculate all other Spanish property-related taxes.
The IBI amount is decided by the town hall in which your property is located, and there can be big differences between municipalities.
READ ALSO: What is Spain’s IBI tax and how do I pay it?
Taking into account the latest IBI data published by the Ministry of Finance in 2022 in the 52 provincial capitals, property giant Fotocasa analysed the numbers to reveal the places with the highest and lowest IBI taxes in the country.
They worked it out by taking the example of a property with a cadastral value of €80,000 and discovered that the average amount of the IBI tax varies between €804 and €320, which is a huge difference.
READ ALSO - EXPLAINED: How to pay less Spanish IBI property tax
Which cities have the most expensive IBI tax?
All of the three most expensive cities for IBI tax can be found in Catalonia, but surprisingly Barcelona does not make the top 10.
The top 10 most expensive places for property tax in the country are:
City Tax rate IBI bill
Girona 1.01 percent €804
Lleida 0.97 percent €773.6
Tarragona 0.95 percent €762.4
Melilla 0.80 percent €640
Ceuta 0.79 percent €632
Ciudad Real 0.79 percent €632
Huelva 0.78 percent €624
Huesca 0.78 percent €624
León 0.77 percent €612.80
Cáceres 0.75 percent €600
Which cities pay the lowest IBI tax?
The top 10 cities with the cheapest IBI tax are:
City Tax rate IBI bill
Santander 0.40 percent €320
Zaragoza 0.40 percent €320
Toledo 0.44 percent €352
Teruel 0.44 percent €352
Palma 0.45 percent €356
Albacete 0.45 percent €356.8
Ourense 0.45 percent €360
Málaga 0.45 percent €360.80
Madrid 0.46 percent €364.80
Burgos 0.46 percent €365.44
One important factor to note is that the Ministry of Finance doesn’t publish information on the tax rates in the Basque Country and Navarra. This means that the cities in these regions are not included in the rankings.
To get an even more accurate figure of the IBI tax paid, it's important to also take into account the large variations in the average price per square metre in each city.
For example, a homeowner in Madrid, where the average price of a property is €449.34 according to Fotocasa, probably ended up paying more in IBI in 2022 than an owner in Girona, where the average price of a property is €264.78, despite Madrid having one of the lowest tax rates for IBI.
This is because homes in Madrid usually have a higher cadastral value than homes in Girona and the price per metre squared is higher.
How can I find out how much IBI tax I need to pay in my city?
If you don't know the IBI tax rates in your municipality and don't want a surprise when you receive your yearly bill, then there are several easy ways to find out.
Fotocasa has a handy online tool that will calculate the range of IBI tax that you should be paying. For this, you'll need to know the cadastral value of your property, which can usually be found on your property deeds. Be aware that this is not the amount you paid for your property, it is a separate value.
Another good way to find out is by going to your local Ayuntamiento or town hall, as they will know the exact rates for your area.
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