Some of the more radical nationalist parties in the Balearics are blaming tourists for all of the region’s ills making tourism an election issue. Més, for example, want to hike the tourist tax by 60% while pushing ahead with restrictions and limits on foreigners and even mainland Spaniards from buying houses in the Balearics, while one of its ‘sister’ parties in Madrid wants to scrap or double the Golden Visa scheme because foreign investors are pushing house prices up. Not even the centre right Partido Popular is prepared to go for it and scrap the tax; instead they want to ‘manage it better’.
Tourists or votes?
Has nothing been learned about how Mallorca has become ‘the next Monaco’?
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3 comments
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Marvin Le MartianI'm not opposed to the tourist tax, but I think the method of collection is very poorly conceived and without any effective accounting. All tourist accommodations (hotels, villas, apartments, etc) are charged tourist tax, on various basis. Some declare what they've collected, others pay a flat "estimated" rate. In all cases it's open to all kinds of "alternative" collection and accounting for it. The tax levied is rather distantly associated from those actually paying it. And yes, you're right, the only way a resident could avoid paying tourist tax in a local hotel or villa is if the management independently decides not to charge it (which they'll never do). There's no mechanism to declare the guest paying it as inapplicable for any reason, including residency. Not because it was deliberately set up that way, but because the entire system is poorly conceived.
Morgan WilliamsIf you live here but fancy a weekend in Palma or elsewhere from where you live, you’re liable to pay the tourist tax.
Most likely we'll trade the current wacked out junior coalition partners for another wacked out junior coalition partner. Carry on. By the way, what residents pay tourist tax? And how? Are they living in a hotel or Airbnb or something?