SUMA

Good Evening all. We recently purchased a property July 2018 in Montebello, Algorfa. We are a bit confused about how SUMA works. Reading info on the internet and the way we understand it is....SUMA must be paid by Oct for the previous year. So the bill we received in Oct 2018 is for 2017 (or are we reading it wrong). If we only bought the house in July 2018 are we liable to pay anything? This is all new to us as we are first time buyers and it looks like we have a lot to learn and get the hang of.

Which SUMA are you talking about? SUMA is the collection agency in the Alicante province for local taxes. I assume you mean the IBI which is the equivalent of our council tax?

The person who owns the property on January 1st of each year is responsible for the IBI for the entire year. The bill you received in October 2018 was for 2018, not 2017. Income taxes are a year behind, not council tax.
The person you bought it off in July 2018 would have been responsible for that payment, not you.
Although, in many cases, a payment is made pro-rata with the buyer and the seller sharing the tax depending on when the property was bought and this should have been agreed among the solicitors.
As you bought the property in July 2018 then you will not be liable to pay IBI until the collection period this year, 2019, and it is collected between August and November, normally October time in this area. That payment will be for 2019.

Thanks Marcliff. It is the IBI we are concerned about. Your reply seems to make sense but just to make sure we are sorted and up to date we will pop into the SUMA office when we are out in February.

Where exactly is the Suma office please we live in Rojales?

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Sum ... -0.7237835

Down the street opposite Mapfre insurance office.

If you have a Spanish registered car, sort that whilst you are in Suma Office too as you became liable for that tax via the Suma Office from January as well.

LHMurcia34 wrote:Where exactly is the Suma office please we live in Rojales?

Stand with your back to the church... look ahead you will see a pedestrian road... take 50 steps, look right, you are in front of the SUMA office..