The Cascais Chamber approved this Monday, December 15th, the fiscal package for 2026, increasing the Municipal Property Tax (IMI) rate to 0.35% for urban buildings, but with a reduction to the minimum value for own and permanent housing.
According to the proposed municipal tax package for 2026, the executive led by Nuno Piteira Lopes (PSD) approved increasing the IMI rate to 0.35%, referring to 2025, and to be charged next year, when this year the rate charged was 0.33%, referring to the previous year (which can vary between 0.30 and 0.45%).
The proposal, approved with votes in favor of the PSD/CDS-PP coalition, PS and independent members of the Jonet movement, and Chega’s abstention, which will be submitted to the municipal assembly, maintains the fixed deduction to the calculated value of the IMI to be paid, depending on the number of dependents – 30 euros for one, 70 for two and 140 for three or more -, and increases the rate applicable to degraded urban buildings by 30%.
The municipality provides for the “15% reduction, to the general IMI rate set at 0.35%, for all owned and permanent housing” and apply the “exemption from IMI and IMT [Imposto Municipal sobre Transmissões] for urban buildings subject to urban rehabilitation, for a period of 3 years”and the “increasing the IMI rate by three times, for urban buildings that have been vacant for more than a year, or buildings in ruins”.
The proposal also stipulates the “increased IMI rate, increased tenfold, to vacant buildings located in areas of urban pressure”e “reduce by 20% the rate” applicable to urban buildings leased for housing (full leasing of the matrix article and fraction)”.
The municipality also approved “lower the IRS participation rate [Imposto sobre Rendimentos de Pessoas Singulares] to 4.5%, for the year 2026”when the law provides for a participation of up to 5%.
The executive also approved a surcharge rate of 1% for taxpayers with a turnover exceeding 150 thousand euros and an exemption for companies with turnover that does not exceed that amount.
The fiscal package includes the non-fixation of the municipal fee for rights of way (TMDP), exempting communications operators from this obligation.
The president of the municipality highlighted to Lusa that the tax package proposal “had no votes against”, as it “met the expectations and proposals made to voters”.
“For the first time, the IMI for all residents who have their first home in the municipality of Cascais goes to the minimum rate, that is, 0.3%”added Nuno Piteira Lopes.
The mayor also noted the beginning of “a trajectory of relief from the IRS, reducing the municipality’s participation by 50 basis points” and having “as a commitment over the period of two terms to reduce to zero”, in addition to the reduction in surcharge, to “give a signal that the municipality is friendly to companies”.
Councilor João Maria Jonet justified the votes in favor of the two independent elected representatives in the tax package because they were aligned in reducing participation in the IRS, despite “at a slower speed”.
“The IMI increased for second homes and reduced for first homes is also a proposal that we support”stressed Jonet, in favor of “the end of the surcharge for companies with a turnover of less than 150 thousand euros”, only with “doubts about reducing the surcharge for large companies”.
Councilor João Rodrigues dos Santos explained that Chega’s two abstentions result from the tax package not fulfilling “the promise of greater tax relief for families”, as proposed by the party in its electoral program, “which defended a more significant reduction in the IRS”.
“The executive opted for a reduction of just 0.5%, which we consider insufficient. Recognizing the positive aspects, we chose to abstain”he stressed.
For socialist councilor João Ruivo, in practice there was “a reduction in IMI for the first home, for people who actually live in Cascais”and an increase for the remaining homes and businesses.