ERC-EUiA has called for a reduction in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat's IBI, the municipal property tax, arguing that households face a growing tax burden while the group considers local services to be increasingly inadequate.
The group says the cut is needed to compensate residents for the combination of IBI, the waste-collection charge and other municipal taxes, particularly given the city's average income. For homeowners, any change to IBI would directly affect the annual bill paid on a property.
“Taking account of the average income of L'Hospitalet residents, we are one of the cities that pays the most taxes.”Jaume Graells, ERC-EUiA spokesperson, in comments reported by LHDigital
IBI rose by 2.6% under the 2025 tax proposal
The call follows the initial approval of L'Hospitalet's 2025 fiscal ordinances. The proposal increased the standard and differentiated IBI rates by 2.6%, a figure presented as the forecast rate of inflation for the following year.
According to the published ordinance proposal, the residential increase was expected to add less than €20 to the bill for 90% of homes. The change was forecast to raise €2.3 million in additional IBI revenue for public services.
- The standard and differentiated IBI rates were proposed to rise by 2.6% in 2025.
- The city also introduced a separate waste charge.
- Some municipal fees, including planning, cemetery and civil-wedding venue charges, were proposed to increase towards the cost of providing those services.
Opposition links tax burden to school and housing shortages
ERC-EUiA's criticism of service provision comes amid reported shortcomings in the city, including a lack of school places and social housing identified by L'Hospitalet's Síndica, the local municipal ombudsman, in her 2024 assessment.
The group has not set out in the material provided what IBI rate it wants, how much a typical household's bill would fall, or when it expects the proposal to be considered by the Ajuntament, L'Hospitalet's city council.
Residents seeking to assess their own position should check their latest IBI bill and the municipal tax ordinances, as the information available does not describe an application process for an individual reduction.
Primary sources: sede.agenciatributaria.gob.es, sede.agenciatributaria.gob.es, sede.agenciatributaria.gob.es. Reported by Source Text Link, lhdigital.cat, Redacció, Àlex Rebollo, El Llobregat, Pablo Sempere, Rosa María Sánchez, National Statistics Institute, Erchospitalet, Redacción, LHDigital (L'Hospitalet).
