Free wants to aggravate IMI from empty houses and create billion-dollar fund

O Free today proposed a Housing Fund Public value of EUR 1 billion and argued that the Tax Authority should help municipalities identify empty houses so that a higher IMI is charged.

At a press conference at the Assembly of the Republic, the spokesman for the Free Isabel Mendes Lopes presented some of the 500 proposals to change the State Budget for 2027 that the party delivered in the context of the discussion in the specialty.

In the housing area, which has been on the agenda due to protests in Lisbon and Porto, Isabel Mendes Lopes stated that Livre has entered a proposal that aims to assign to the Tax Authority (AT) responsibilities in the identification of returned properties, so that the worsening of the IMI ( Municipal Tax on Property) already provided by the law is charged.

The party also presented other proposals under this tax, suggesting the updating of family coefficients in order to ensure that households pay less IMI, and an increase of 100% for non-residents “who do not have their home in the accessible rental market”.

The Livre insists on the creation of a Fund for Public Housing, worth EUR 1 billion, with the aim of increasing the public housing park, currently situated at 2%.

Asked about the funds to finance this fund, Isabel Mendes Lopes indicated that they must come from his own Budget but also other party proposals as an additional IMT for properties purchased by non-residents or a 2% rate on assets above EUR 100 million (which the party designates as the “ultra rich”).

The Livre also defends “a moratorium on evictions for speculation” next year, ensuring “that it is not possible not to renew a contract unless the landlord himself needs the house for his own dwelling”.

The bench wants the reduction of VAT from today 23% to 22.5% already next year, aiming to reach 21% by 2030.

In this specialty process, the Livre insists on several of its flags, already presented in previous budgetary processes, as a four-day workweek program in the Public Administration and the extension of the pilot project to the private sector, the strengthening of the family allowance by 10% or the creation of a National Mobility Pass, after the entry into force of the Green Rail Pass.

In education, the Livre proposes an increase in salaries at the beginning of the teaching career, that is, in the first four classes, in order to attract more teachers to the career, and want free meals in public school cafeterias.

Isabel Mendes Lopes again criticised the proposal handed over by the Government to parliament, considering that there is a question of “a budget that does not realize the delicate economic moment that the country is going through”.

The proposal of the Government of the State Budget for 2027 was approved on October 28 in general in the Assembly of the Republic, with votes in favor of PSD and CDS-PP, abstentions of PS, PAN and JPP and against Enough, IL, Livre, PCP and BE.

The proposals for amending the budget will be discussed and voted on from 18 November, culminating in the overall final vote of the document on 24 November.