Spanish spies have taken to the skies in an effort to identify tax charlatans in the Balearic Islands.
The Spanish treasury announced that it has deployed light aircraft to fly over the islands to take aerial photographs of property.
At risk are owners who have extended their homes or installed swimming pools illegally and failed to declare the work which would have increased the value of the property and, hence, the tax liability.
"Impuesto sobre Bienes Inmuebles" (IBI) tax revenue goes to local authorities to maintain the area’s infrastructure and general upkeep. This annual tax is calculated on the property value.
The aerial surveys of the Balearic’s 28 municipalities between 2013 and 2015 found a total of 21,652 properties which had been renovated in some way, including 2,382 swimming pools built without having been declared.
The overhead snaps have raised the average IBI bill in these areas by €309, which will result in an additional €6 million to the local authorities, according to the Mallorcan newspaper Ultima Hora.
