Local Taxes - Ibiza Style

I've just paid my local taxes – a kind of tithe – that house and car owners pay every year for the privilege of having a lamppost stuck in the middle of their street or driving on one of the 8 streets in the urban centre of San Jose.
Lessons I have learned over the years are:

Do not ever 'pay' your rates by 'domiciliacion' the Spanish equivalent of direct debit. It actually involves more of your time delivering pieces of paper for stamping and usually ends up with the local police knocking on your door wanting the unpaid taxes plus 10%!!! Both bank and council deny any responsibility for the non-payment/collection of the tax and you're stuck in the middle with a surcharge.

Do not ever go to pay your taxes at the start of the two month collection period. The office will be full of eager tax payers and the staff will be under extreme pressure and stress.

Do not ever go to pay your taxes at the end of the two month collection period. The office will be full of everybody else and the staff will not only be under extreme pressure and stress, but also, their minds will be elsewhere, looking forward to their next 10 months with nothing to do.

Do not ever go to pay your taxes around 11.00 hours. All the staff and everyone else will be drinking coffee in Bar Bernat Vinya while you watch tumbleweed rolling through the office for an hour or so.

Any road, it's all over for another year and we can now enjoy the excellent local services provided by our tax Euros. Ironically I've just paid about 15 Euros per street to keep my car on the roads but unfortunately am not able to park it on the street where I live because 'it is the oldest street in the village!'

The Bang for our Tax Bucks

Street Lighting

Fire Brigade

Public Transport