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65 homes with level-B protection status to benefit from a 75% discount in return for preservation

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In a press conference held today, the Formentera Island Council's councilor of Culture and Local Patrimony, Sònia Cardona, together with the councilor of the Tax Office, Territory and Town Planning, Bartomeu Escandell, announced details regarding the modification of a local law on property tax. The changes follow a re-evaluation of cadastral values undertaken in 2012 by the Directorate General of Cadastre.

Following the changes, the Tax Office of Formentera (Hisenda) considered opportune a lowering of imposable rates in use by the Urban Property Tax. Rates dropped from 1.10% to 1% in a move intended to soften the blow of the newly inflated cadastral rates of imposition. The measure was adopted to counteract the increase in the property values that are applied to the Urban Property Tax. The one-off modification will serve to stabilise the changes in property tax imposition and postpone a certain portion of the resulting financial burden.

The elevated debt that the Govern Balear maintains with the Formentera Council has obliged our local administration's governing team to make certain fiscal decisions otherwise unnecessary had the autonomous government fulfilled its economic obligations. Thus, our island council will scale back its application of this measure as the Balearic Autonomous Community pays off its debt with Formentera. In 2014 the Urban Property Tax is expected to take in 3.5 million euros.

In adopting the measure, the Formentera Council will attempt to deflect the effects of the recent revaluation of land values by Gerencia Regional del Cadastre of the Balearic Islands.

The Council made the decision to create a system of tax rebates for the specific case of properties with level-B protection status (those included in Formentera's Catalogue of Local Heritage) to compensate for the town planning restrictions imposed on these properties in order to maintain their historic value. Specifically, level-B protection status prohibits any increases to volume and is intended as a measure to maintain the unique character of local homes.

Thus the Council has established a 75% tax rebate for properties included in Formentera's Catalogue of Cultural Heritage and listed with level-B protection (the highest level of protection) provided the land is not used for commercial activity. The rebate will affect a total of 65 homes; 24 located on rural terrain and 41 on land designated for urban-use.

Property owners must request consideration for the rebate, and it must be renewed annually at the Citizen Information Office within the first trimester of the year.

The law of 12/1998, of 21 December, regarding Local Patrimony of the Balearic Islands, establishes on one hand the duty of preservation, maintenance and care of cultural heritage sites in existence on private property (article 22); and on another hand the law establishes that the public administration must collaborate with landowners and title-holders of these sites in their preservation and restoration, providing technical and legal assistance and, if necessary, economic benefits (article 81).