Esteponeros save more than 7 million euros a year thanks to the lowering of taxes by the City Council.

These reductions have not led to a reduction in investments or in the provision of services, which have been reinforced. This year, the Consistory allocates more than 6.6 million euros for IBI rebates, and another 144,000 euros for the exemption of the garbage tax payment.

With these measures, the City Council continues to show its fiscal support to all families in Estepona and especially to the most vulnerable groups.

The City Council of Estepona will allocate this year more than 7 million euros to maintain the lowering of taxes in Estepona, mainly to subsidize the Property Tax (IBI) and to exempt the payment of the garbage rate to the most vulnerable groups. Specifically, 6,624,365.11 euros are contemplated to subsidize the IBI and other 143,804.28 euros for the exemption of the payment of garbage, which represents a significant saving for the pockets of the residents of Estepona.

The mayor, José María García Urbamo, stresses that with these measures the City Council continues to show its fiscal support to all families in Estepona and, in particular, to the most vulnerable groups, maintaining the commitment not to raise taxes to citizens and offer help to those who need it most. This, moreover, has been done without representing a decrease in investment or in the provision of services that, on the contrary, have been strengthened.

It should be recalled that the IBI receipt accumulates, since 2012, a reduction of 50% on average, thanks to the measures implemented by the Consistory after reaching zero debt last year. To this is added a 3% reduction -both for the IBI, as well as for the Economic Activities Tax (IAE) and the garbage tax- for those who have direct debit payment of their receipt and make it within the voluntary payment period. This IBI reduction is also favored by the 50% reduction of the cadastral values of the properties that was carried out in 2016 to adapt them to the market reality. In general terms, the average IBI bill has gone, since 2011, from 723 to 556 euros, reaching this year an accumulated reduction of 167 euros on average since 2011.

In order to benefit from the registration bonus, individuals will not have to apply for it, as it will be automatically applied by the City Council.

In relation to the garbage tax, retirees and long-term unemployed registered in the town will be exempt from payment, which will benefit about 1,812 receipts.

In relation to the garbage rate, the City Council has recently activated a pioneering measure to reduce the garbage rate for citizens who recycle at the clean point. In this way, a 3% discount on the receipt is granted to those who make a minimum of three deliveries each year at the clean point of waste for which there are no containers on public roads, furthering the tax reduction measures and promoting recycling and protection of the environment.

These tax reduction measures are possible thanks to the fact that the City Council has put the municipal accounts in order and maintains a policy of rigor and expenditure control, being also one of the municipalities in Spain that makes more public investment per inhabitant to stimulate the local economy.

Among the fiscal support measures, the elimination of the opening tax for 35 types of economic activities; the 75% rebate on the opening tax for vulnerable groups; the rebate on the Economic Activities Tax (IAE) for the industrial activity of the industrial estates and the 50% rebate on the rate of occupation of public roads for traders who comply with the municipal ordinance in this regard also stand out.

The tax ordinance also includes a reduction in the capital gains tax to encourage the sale and purchase of real estate. At the same time, the pioneering municipal measure of exempting from the payment of the capital gains tax those people who are victims of foreclosures or evictions is maintained.

In addition, a 75% discount on the Tax on Vehicles of Mechanical Traction (IVTM) is offered for electric and hybrid cars, with the aim of promoting a more environmentally sustainable city.