Get to know SUMA
SUMA is the municipal tax collecting agency for Alicante and their offices are throughout the region and shown on their website, see below. They also have part time offices in some town halls.
Do not confuse these types of tax with Income tax which is payable to the AEAT, Agencia Estatal de Administración Tributaria, the government tax ministry.
The municipal taxes are for:
IBI ' Spanish council tax
IVTM ' Spanish vehicle road tax
IAE ' Business and professional taxes
Plus valia ' Property transfer taxes (only charged in some areas)
It is advisable to pay these taxes on time to avoid incurring extra charges and SUMA state that not receiving the tax demands through the post is not a legitimate way of not paying.
The timing of payment varies according to your area but you will probably see the SUMA advertisements advising 'Payment is Due' posters in your local shops.
If you do not receive your tax demand letter you will need to visit your local SUMA office, open from 0830 until 1400, with your relevant paperwork and they will explain to you how much to pay and the deadline dates.
There are several ways to pay, they do not accept cash payments in their offices, but bankcards are acceptable. You also have the options of:
Setting up direct debits (remember to keep enough funds in your account)
At a bank cash dispenser
Over the counter in your bank (which must be a bank on the SUMA collaborators list which is printed on the tax bill)
Or over the Internet.
SUMA also has a very informative web site much of which is in English and a really useful information booklet that you can download from:
You can also telephone SUMA English help line on: 96 514 85 61
On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays between 0900 - 1200
They run information talks around the area and I attended the talk in San Miguel, which was very informative and left me with the impression that they are willing to help their foreign clients understand their system which I suppose is in their best interests!
We do our best to provide accurate and up to date information. However, if you have noticed any inaccuracies in this article, please let us know in the comments section below.
