The Madrid Federation of Large Families notes significant differences in municipal support for large families in the Community of Madrid on three key fronts: property tax, sports activities, and cultural activities.
By: Alejandro Moreno, Madrid Actual
The study, dated October 2024 and based on 81 municipalities with more than 5,000 inhabitants, shows that aid varies substantially depending on the place of residence, with direct effects on the pocketbooks of households with children.
An uneven map of the IBI
In the Property Tax, 22 municipalities offer a “large family” discount, with a direct percentage, without economic or cadastral filters, approximately 27% of the sample. In 44 municipalities (around 54%) the discount is subject to the cadastral value of the primary residence. Seven municipalities (9%) weight the household’s income, and another six (7%) combine income and cadastral value. Only two municipalities (around 2%) have no specific discounts or do not apply. The graph on page 4 illustrates the range of maximum and minimum discounts among those that offer “large family” discounts.
Sports: seven out of ten do offer bonuses
In sports activities, 58 municipalities (72%) apply direct discounts to the general rate; four (5%) use a differentiated rate; and 19 (23%) do not publish or offer discounts. The comparative graph on page 6 lists the municipalities that apply discount percentages and shows a remarkable breadth of local policies; among those included in the visualization are, among others, Boadilla del Monte , San Sebastián de los Reyes, Cobeña, Madrid, Las Rozas, Hoyo de Manzanares, Torrejón de Ardoz, Arganda del Rey, Leganés, Alcorcón, Valdemoro, Pozuelo de Alarcón, Galapagar, Alcobendas, Paracuellos de Jarama, Torrelodones, Getafe , Majadahonda , Alcalá de Henares , Arroyomolinos, Navalcarnero, Fuenlabrada and Collado Villalba .
Culture: six out of ten reduce prices
In terms of access to cultural activities, 51 municipalities (63%) offer percentage discounts, compared to 30 (37%) that do not offer specific reductions. The graph on page 8, which lists the municipalities with percentage discounts, once again demonstrates a wide range of criteria and includes, among others, Cobeña, Madrid, Arganda del Rey, Pozuelo de Alarcón, Boadilla del Monte, Leganés, Alcorcón, Villaviciosa de Odón, Torrelodones, Getafe, Majadahonda, Tres Cantos, Coslada , Arroyomolinos, Fuenlabrada, Nuevo Baztán, Las Rozas, and Miraflores de la Sierra.
Impact on a typical family
To measure the real effect, FEDMA simulates the expenditure of a family with three children who use sports and cultural services for nine months a year, with an average property tax (IBI) without a discount of €518, a monthly sports subscription of €28.50 per child, and a monthly cultural workshop of €35.40 per child. Without subsidies , the annual bill reaches €2,243: €518 for property tax, €769.5 for sports, and €955.8 for culture. The municipal comparison shows substantial savings when discounts are available.
Where you pay less according to the graphic comparison
The graph on page 10 shows a sample of the “cheapest municipalities” for that typical family and ranks them from lowest to highest annual cost after applying local discounts. The municipalities that fall into this most favorable range include Cobeña, Boadilla del Monte, Tres Cantos, Pozuelo de Alarcón, Arganda del Rey, Leganés, Alcorcón, Villaviciosa de Odón, Getafe, Galapagar, Brunete, Paracuellos de Jarama, Torrelodones, Las Rozas, Majadahonda, San Sebastián de los Reyes, San Fernando de Henares, Mejorada del Campo , Alcobendas, Velilla de San Antonio , Arroyomolinos, and Ciempozuelos, among others.
The final distribution of results, summarized on page 11, shows 15 municipalities with an annual cost of less than 1,000 euros for the family in question; 22 municipalities with an annual cost of between 1,001 and 1,500 euros; 37 municipalities with an annual cost of between 1,501 and 2,000 euros; and 7 municipalities with an annual cost of over 2,000 euros, compared to the initial cost scenario without bonuses of 2,243 euros.
The report draws on regulations in electronic offices, institutional websites, the BOCM ( Spanish Official Gazette of the City of Madrid), telephone calls, and the Tax Agency, and includes a contact channel for requesting the specific source of the data. The resulting snapshot, prepared with uniform and transparent criteria, points to the need for greater territorial equity and reinforces the principle of subsidiarity: that local administrations provide stable support to those who sustain generational renewal and social cohesion.