The executive of the Espinho City Council, led by Jorge Ratola, announced a set of tax reductions that should return more than 500 thousand euros to the municipality's families and businesses. The measure represents, according to the municipality, a political option to strengthen the available income of families and create better conditions for businesses based in the county.
Regarding IMI, the proposed rate for the parishes of Espinho, Anta and Silvalde drops from 0.37% to 0.35%, while in the parishes of Paramos and Guetim it goes from 0.34% to 0.325%. To these reductions is added a fixed deduction to the tax collection based on the number of dependents, ranging from 30 euros for families with one dependent to 140 euros for families with three or more dependents. The municipality estimates that the IMI reduction will represent approximately 235 thousand euros for Espinho taxpayers in 2027.
For IRS, the executive proposes a rate of 4.2% applicable to 2026 income, which should represent a reduction of effort of approximately 141 thousand euros for residents, placing Espinho below the average of the municipalities in the Porto Metropolitan Area, which in 2025 was at 4.31%. In Derrama, businesses with turnover up to 150 thousand euros will benefit from a reduced rate of 0.60%, against the general rate of 1.30%, a measure that should cover more than half of the municipality's businesses and result in a decrease of approximately 135 thousand euros charged to small and medium-sized enterprises.
Jorge Ratola mentioned that the municipality needs major investments in road requalification, public spaces and water supply network, but defended that it is possible to reconcile tax relief with the continuity of the investment policy. The proposal will be submitted to the Thursday City Council meeting and subsequently to the Espinho Municipal Assembly for approval.
