Humphrey Carter25/11/2015 00:00
TW
1

The Balearics is destined to have a new tourist tax introduced next year, although it has as yet to be decided exactly how the funds raised will be used, while there are still concerns about how the tourist industry at large will react.

There have been claims from the local government that tour operators and airlines, in particular those in the UK, have accepted the tax and have no objections. To be honest, in reality that is way off the mark and there are mounting domestic concerns too.
But the Balearic government is determined to push ahead because Madrid is continuing to refuse to give us a fair financial deal, another reason why the wealthy are going to be taxed more as well.

But look at the figures reported today regarding the revenue generated by holiday lets. 4,300 million euros in two years nationwide and you can be sure that a sizable slice of that was spent here in the Balearics. Now, that figure obviously relates to legal lets which have been declared, so add on the illegal lets and the actual figure is far greater.

Instead of demonising people who let out their homes to holidaymakers and consider the move to be an investment, why not be nice to them? Make their life easier and encourage them to come forward, get legal and pay the corresponding taxes, just think of the revenue the Balearics would collect from a more proactive approach. It wouldn't need a tourist tax.