Palma terrace tax to rise by up to 86 per cent

Majorca Daily Bulletin reporterPalma23/10/2015 00:00

The terrace tax in 37 areas of Palma is to increase by between 31% and 86%. The town hall believes that the value of all these areas has risen, while others have gone down. In the latter category are the likes of General Riera and the Plaza Gomila, where the tax will fall by 59%.

The accounts’ commission today approved these changes, with the Partido Popular and Ciudadanos (C’s) opposing them. The finance councillor, Adrián García, justified the rise because of the way that the city has been developing and he considered it necessary that there be an adjustment to the terrace tariffs.

The PP councillor Pep Ignasi Aguiló rejected this need, saying that the town hall has other ways of making financial adjustments. Furthermore, he went on, the ruling administration has now increased four taxes: that for terraces; publicity in public areas; street sales from behind a counter; and the property tax on the most humble of properties. Bartomeu Cañellas for the C’s added that “now is not the time to be increasing taxes”.

The Majorca Restaurants’ Association also expressed its opposition to this added tax burden and is considering taking the matter to court. Its president, Alfonso Robledo, demanded that the town hall make a “serious” market study.