The Gipuzkoa Provincial Council has dismissed the San Sebastián City Council's proposal to advance the application of the new tourist tax to this summer. The effective date, as agreed by the three Basque provincial councils, remains January 1, 2027, despite Donostia's desire to expedite the process.
The three Basque provincial councils, governed by the PNV and PSE parties, agreed in March that the new tourist tax would begin to apply from January 1, 2027. The draft provincial regulation, designed by the treasuries of the three territories, was presented a few weeks ago, and its debate will soon begin in the General Assemblies of each territory. The objective is to gather the necessary support for its approval and allow local councils to apply it from next year.
“"Everyone preferred to proceed with a certain calm so that the tax could be in force normally from January 1."
Itziar Agirre, Gipuzkoa's Deputy of Finance, acknowledged the wishes of Mayor Jon Insausti but explained that "everyone preferred to proceed with a certain calm so that the tax could be in force normally from January 1." This statement follows that of the Minister of Tourism, Javier Hurtado, who had already indicated that "the text does not allow, in its current wording, to advance the date as requested by Donostia."
In an interview on Radio Euskadi, Agirre stated that the San Sebastián City Council, being "a large city council," "wants to move at a different pace" to implement the tax this summer. However, she insisted that the draft provincial regulation establishes January 1, 2027, as the effective date, and that "it is in the General Assemblies" where "this issue will have to be debated." The deputy recalled that this date was agreed upon by the provincial councils, considering the proposals from the sector and the Association of Basque Municipalities, Eudel, during the allegations period.
Itziar Agirre herself appeared before the General Assemblies on March 27 to explain the new provincial regulation in detail to a Finance committee. Parties have until the 24th of this month to submit their amendments, which will allow the final text or the amendments to be debated in the May or June plenary session. Although the General Assemblies are sovereign to modify the effective date, all indications are that the agreement between the provincial councils and the parties that comprise them will not advance the application of the tax before January 1, 2027.
