The Generalitat collects nearly seven times what it spends on housing

Until September, the Generalitat collected **€3.654,5 million** from ITP, inheritances, and AJD, almost seven times what was spent on housing and urbanism throughout 2025.

According to data published by ABC, the Generalitat has collected €3.654,5 million until September from the property transfer tax (ITP), inheritances and donations, and documented legal acts (AJD). This figure is nearly seven times the €547,2 million that was spent on housing and urbanism in all of 2025, and the difference is expected to grow by the end of the year.

Spending on housing is not keeping pace with income. Between January and September 2026, €185,1 million was accounted for in housing and old neighbourhood programmes, compared to €418,2 million in the same period of 2025, a decrease of 55,7%. Agencies can draw from funds from previous years, so the cut does not necessarily equate to less public activity, although the figure is striking.

The ITP contributed €1.901,9 million until September, and inheritances and donations accounted for €1.046,3 million, a 37,5% increase from a year earlier. The €706,3 million from AJD completes the total figure. The trend has seen annual increases since 2021, with some fluctuations.

Meanwhile, the sales of used homes fell by 1% in Catalonia until August. The September data has not yet been published, but the contrast suggests that the increase in revenue is mainly due to rising property prices, not a higher number of transactions.

The increase comes after the tax reform that the Govern approved in June 2025. The progressive rate of the ITP now ranges between 10% and 13% for higher-value purchases, and a 20% tax was introduced for certain acquisitions of homes by large holders and entire residential buildings.

For a Catalan buyer, the bill varies significantly by region. A second-hand flat costing €300,000 incurs about €30,000 just in ITP in Catalonia, compared to €18,000 in Madrid, where the rate is 6%. For new builds, ITP does not apply but VAT does, with a general rate of 10% collected by the State.

The AJD also shows a significant difference: in the same transaction, Catalonia would charge €4,500, double that of Madrid, which charges €2,250, without applying tax benefits. In inheritances, the gap is even larger. A 30-year-old inheriting a rented flat valued at €300,000 would pay about €10,350 in inheritances under Catalan law, compared to €514 in Madrid.

The General Council of Economists and Fedea estimate that the tax burden, from land purchase to resale, amounts to around 25% of the price of a new home. Applied to the €300,000 flat, this would mean about €75,000 in tax costs. The European Parliament called in March for the elimination of tax barriers for first-time buyers.

Catalonia already offers advantages for young people up to 35 years, such as a reduced ITP of 5% and full AJD exemption for the purchase of a primary residence. These aids are subject to income requirements, a filter that the text itself considers insufficient given the access difficulties.