Marina Botafoc tenants against the activity tax: "We are outraged".

They have questioned the 2% of the turnover of each location occupying port facilities and not the profits. "In many cases, that's half or a third of what you expect to earn," they pointed out.

The activity tax that the Balearic Islands Port Authority has begun to apply to the commercial premises of the Marina Nueva Botafoc has generated deep discontent among the marina's tenants: "We are outraged".

• The "revolutionary tax" with which the APB plans to collect millions of euros

This is what the president of the Nautical Association of Ibiza and Formentera, Ramón Van der Hooft, stated, who is also the CEO of Boating Group, whose charter company has an office in Marian Botafoc. "The numbers don't add up," he told La Voz de Ibiza.

In this regard, he explained that "we signed a contract with the concessionaire Ocibar, which also included a note informing us of a supposed activity fee, which the APB was going to charge and which was part of their concession. Some saw it, others didn't even notice."

In 2022, the APB sent a notification to all local users in Botafoc requesting documentation for the first year. "They asked for the results of all the companies, so they could then proceed with the liquidation, because, as the fee clearly states, they have the right to charge 2% on the turnover we generate in the port."

Criticisms

Many tenants have questioned whether not all of the company's revenue comes from the premises they rent within the port facilities. "In the end, everyone has done their numbers, shaken up their accounts, and presented a result," explained Van der Hooft.

Added to this is the recent arrival of the 2020-2021 financial year settlement, which increased the discontent, as it corresponds to the first year of the pandemic, where most companies have been losing money due to quarantine and health restrictions.

"2020 was a year in which almost all companies already made losses, because it was the first COVID year, when we had six weeks of activity and paid 12 months of rent," noted the nautical charter entrepreneur.

For this reason, he said, "we are outraged. If the concessionaire already pays 4% of its activity, more The fee, we pay very high rents to have a few square meters of office space here, it's clear that having to pay 2% on your turnover and not on profits is, in many cases, half or a third of what you expect to earn and have as profit."

The businessman explained that firms usually have between "4 and 8% of profits in a season when everything is going well. If 2% of your 4% goes to the APB, it means that half of your profits are gone. So, clearly, we are outraged." Furthermore, he has announced that several tenants "are starting to look for offices outside the port, because for many, this port does not have a commercial advantage."

In his case, his presence in the port is due to logistical reasons, although "your client doesn't come here to look for, buy, or rent a boat. Everything happens through digital platforms these days. So, being here doesn't give you a commercial advantage."

SOURCE:  https://lavozdeibiza.com/actualidad/2025/02/23/inquilinos-de-marina-botafoc-contra-la-tasa-de-actividad-estamos-indignados/