# VAT hike to 21% for tourist flats postponed due to lack of support

Canonical-URL: https://notitur.com/en/digest/vat-21-tourist-flats-postponed
Text-Version: https://notitur.com/en/digest/vat-21-tourist-flats-postponed.txt
Markdown-Version: https://notitur.com/en/digest/vat-21-tourist-flats-postponed.md
Language: en
Published: 2026-07-29T07:01:34.637Z
Modified: 2026-07-29T07:01:34.637Z
Author: Joan Sanz
Topics: Revenue & Distribution
Summary: The Spanish government delays the VAT increase to 21% for tourist apartments until September after failing to secure parliamentary backing. The sector breathes, but the threat remains.

## Article

On **July 28**, the Spanish government hit pause and postponed until September the approval of the Housing Decree-Law, which included hiking **VAT to 21%** for tourist apartments. The reason, as [Hosteltur](https://www.hosteltur.com/177720_el-iva-al-21-para-pisos-turisticos-aplazado-hasta-septiembre-por-falta-de-apoyos-politicos.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=el-iva-al-21-para-pisos-turisticos-aplazado-hasta-septiembre-por-falta-de-apoyos-politicos) reports: lack of support from Junts and Podemos.

Industry bodies **Federatur** and **AVVAPro** have warned that this tax hike would make accommodation more expensive without tackling the housing issue, and would hit families who rent out their second homes hardest. My take: a breather, yes, but this isn't dead. Congress must vote on the text within 30 days of its publication in the BOE, and if the government can line up the numbers, the 21% could come back.

In my view, the delay is a chance to negotiate, but the sector shouldn't sit idle. Fiscal pressure on short-term rentals is going to grow, and those without clean accounting and proper invoicing will be caught out. Better use this extension to get your house in order, because when the proposal returns, it will come back with a vengeance.

## Sources

- Hosteltur: https://www.hosteltur.com/177720_el-iva-al-21-para-pisos-turisticos-aplazado-hasta-septiembre-por-falta-de-apoyos-politicos.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=el-iva-al-21-para-pisos-turisticos-aplazado-hasta-septiembre-por-falta-de-apoyos-politicos

## Citation

VAT hike to 21% for tourist flats postponed due to lack of support. Notitur. 2026-07-29. https://notitur.com/en/digest/vat-21-tourist-flats-postponed