Santa Cruz de Tenerife Council Attributes Confusion Over Waste Tax Payments to Technical Error
The Explanation Behind the Confusion
The Santa Cruz de Tenerife Council has attributed the confusion experienced by taxpayers weeks ago to a technical error. Many residents received payment letters for the new waste tax via the electronic office, featuring deadlines in July and August, despite the council having announced that the voluntary payment period would not commence until September. This explanation was provided in a written response from the Finance Department to the Socialist Municipal Group for their review in the June oversight committee. The local government acknowledged that an incident occurred during the setup of the tool used to manage the new tax.
Incidents Leading to Confusion
The controversy arose in late May when numerous residents noticed payment letters on the municipal electronic office, showing due dates in July and August. This led to questions about whether they were required to pay before the voluntary collection period announced by the council began. The council initially claimed the tool allowed users to consult the amount due and make an advance voluntary payment.
Finance has now clarified that the system required a complete reconfiguration due to changes associated with the new waste tax, during which an error occurred. “During the configuration of the computer tool used to create the registers, an incident occurred; specifically, the notification was set up incorrectly as a message, instead of being an informational courtesy communication,” states the document signed by Councillor José Alberto Díaz-Estébanez. It further notes that the confusion was exacerbated as dates appeared in the letters that should not have been included.
Misinterpretation of Dates
“The confusion among taxpayers was due to the ‘validity date’ section in the letter, which included two dates, firstly 06/07/2026 and subsequently 20/08/2026, that should not have been there,” the municipal response indicates.
Additionally, the council points out that some taxpayers interpreted these dates as deadlines for payment. “This generated confusion among some taxpayers, who, given this designation (validity date), concluded that payment was due within these dates,” the text asserts.
Actions Taken by the Council
After detecting the incident, the council claims it halted the issuance of these communications and began preparing new information for the affected parties. “Once the incident was detected, notifications were ceased and an individual accessible information communication was initiated,” the document states.
Official Notification Scheduled for September
The response sent to the PSOE reiterates that the notification for the waste tax will occur from 20 September 2026 and that the payment period corresponding to this financial year will commence then. The council also explains that the new tax, adapted to meet the requirements of Law 7/2022 on waste and contaminated soils for a circular economy, necessitates individualised notification to taxpayers due to the amendments introduced. For this reason, it adds, direct debits will not apply during 2026 and will take effect from the 2027 financial year.
To avoid further misunderstandings, the Finance Department confirms it is developing a new informational communication to clarify that the previously sent documents were for informative purposes only. Additionally, it seeks to enhance the dissemination of this information through municipal taxpayer support channels and a specific communication campaign.
