TOnly a few hours have passed since we Spaniards started the year 2024 with the traditional lucky grapes and there are already many who are thinking about everything that is coming our way. Mainly because the new year always brings with it new prices, usually increases, in products and services that are essential for daily life.
It is therefore a good time to review what is going to rise, and will mean an extra expense for the Spanish, and what is going to go down, and will at least mean an extra expense. good cushion for the complicated domestic economies that we Spaniards have these days.
Be careful with the climbs
As controversial as it is expected, the rise in electricity will begin with a progressive increase with a start of a 10% increase for the entire year. Afterwards, the access tolls to the electricity transportation and distribution networks will be reviewed, which will rise slightly for domestic consumers during peak hours –Monday to Friday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. -, although they will be reduced in the flat and off-peak hours.
As for the Special Tax on Electricity, which until this Sunday was reduced from 5.11% to 0.5%, the increase is already palpable since it is 2.5% in the first half of 2024 and go to 3.8% starting in June. The VAT also increases for pellets and biomass as an alternative to gas for heating, it will be a 10% tax until June 30, before returning to the 21% rate from the second half of the year.
The price of butane under review
Although it already rose by 5% in mid-November 2023, it is expected that in the month of January the price of the butane cylinder that is currently in stock will be reviewed again. 15,14 euros, What is certain is that the cylinder will not be able to rise to more than the 19.55 euros which is what the law establishes.
Reduced VAT on food
What remains, for now until June 2024, is the VAT on food, which has already been reduced from 10 to 5% for oil and pasta. In addition, the elimination of the super-reduced 4% tax on essential products such as bread, flour, milk, cheese, eggs, fruit, vegetables, legumes and cereals is maintained.
Las pensions are also going to be revalued and they rise by 3.8% from this first day of 2024, a way that is applied so that the elderly do not lose purchasing power. In this way, the pension maximum increases by 116 euros per month, from 3,059 euros to 3,175 euros. Non-contributory pensions also increase, from 906 euros to 1,033 euros.
Los Spanish officials are also going to see how their salaries grow. According to the agreement reached by the Government and the unions, a 2% and may rise another 0.5% depending on the evolution of prices.
Another thing that will rise this January is the minimum wage (SMI), which in 2023 increased to 1,080 euros per month in 14 payments and now the The Ministry of Labor has proposed that it increase by 4% to 1,123 euros per month, something that is not yet certified or closed.
Another aspect that increases is taxes, although most of them fall on companies. In the case of Personal income tax, the pressure on capital income of less than 200,000 euros is raised by one point to 27% and a 28% section is created for profits from investments that exceed 300,000 euros. However, The reduction due to work performance increases for those who earn less than 21,000 euros.
Los autonomous will have heads and tails. Those in the lower brackets will pay between five and 10 euros less feeHowever, those in the higher reaches will have to see how their Fees rise between 10 and 30 euros.
New unemployment benefits
In the last meeting of the Council of Ministers in 2023, a modification was approved in the income that unemployed people who meet a series of requirements can have. His fee will increase from 480 euros per month to the 570 euros in the first six months and 540 from the seventh month until completing the year to, finally, go back to 480 euros until the help ends with a maximum of 30 months.
Another issue that is expected for this new year of 2024 is rental prices. In the Housing Law approved last May, an increase of no more than 3% was established by law. Something that could be otherwise if the owner of the apartment is not a large holder (more than 10 properties) and agrees with the tenant on an increase that may be more than 3%.
Free and subsidized transportation
The transportation prices that could already be enjoyed during 2023 will be maintained. That is, the The Government maintains the 30% contribution to subsidize transport passes and the other 20% To reach at least 50% it will be applied by the autonomous communities. Travel continues free for the Cercanas, Rodales and Media Distancia network for passengers who use it frequently. To all these discounts, we must add the 50% of Avant lines.
What if they are going to go up are the tolls. As was already advanced at the time between the highway concessionaire companies and the Ministry of Transport, tolls will rise in 2024 a maximum of 4.03%.
Increases in telephone rates
The two large telephone companies have taken advantage of the turn of the year to review their prices. On the one hand, Vodafone linked its rates to inflation in 2022in this way it will increase its rates by 4.38%, which represents increases between 0.70 and 4.30 euros.Movistar, for its part, will increase its rates on January 15, with increases that range between 2 and 4 euros.
