Lagoa council, a popular tourist destination in Portugal's Algarve region, has recently joined the growing list of municipalities charging a tourist tax. This tax, implemented since April 13, 2024, aims to raise funds for improving public facilities and services for both tourists and residents.

Guests aged 13 years and over, staying in hotels, resorts, tourist apartments, hostels, rural tourism developments, campsites, and other tourist accommodations (AL) including hostels, should pay €2 per night, per person, during the high season (April – October) and €1 during low season (November – March). This charged for a maximum of seven consecutive nights.

The tourist tax in the Lagoa municipality which is home to tourist hotspots including Praia do Carvoeiro, Ferragudo, and Porches. The tax is collected by the accommodation establishments and paied through a municipal electronic platform. 

In essence, Lagoa's tourist tax is a way to ensure that the tourism industry contributes directly to maintaining and enhancing the quality of the area for both visitors and the local community.

Who is exempt from paying the tax: 1

- Children up to 13 years old 

- People with disabilities, with a disability equal to or greater than 60%

- National and foreign students who enter the University of Algarve and who use tourist resorts and local accommodation establishments at the beginning of each academic year, up to a maximum of 60 consecutive days.

- Guests receiving medical treatment (and a companion)

- Guests with special offers from the Tourist resort/hotel/ tourist accommodation

Touristic tax, was approved on 13th of April by Lagoa town hall, but only on the 30th April 2024, was clarified, by them, more details about the terms, conditions and proceedures. Find bellow some answers for the most common questions.

1- Who pays this tourist tax?
All guests with age above 13 years, included.

2 - What is the amount to pay?
High season from 1st of April to 31 of October 2€ per person per night / low season from 1st of November to 31 of march 1€ per person per night

3 - How do the guest pay, who can collect and when?
The guest must pay in cash and should pay at the check in time, if this is not possible another way must be arranged for the guest to pay during their stay.
The person responsible for the property must collect the tax from the guests.

4 - Can it be collected by the rental sites, like Airbnb, booking and others?
No, that is not possible, but you should put an information in all the rental sites (where you advertise) about the tourist tax charge, so the guests know in advance about this payment and can provided it.

5 - Will this tourist tax be considered rental income for the AL, subject to personal taxation?
No, its not, you collect the money, keep the money and later pay it to the local town hall, (this is not your money).

6 - Is there a limit of nights to charge to the guest?
Yes, 7 nights. (for example a booking of 8 or more nights, guest pay only 7 nights per person, according to the season.

7 - When will the touristic tax charge start?
From the 1st of may, for all check ins from that date on, it does not matter when was the booking confirmed.

8 - If a guest refuses to pay- what to do ?
The person responsable to declaire this payment, needs to justify to the town hall app, the non payment by the guest, and wait for the town hall to proceed, or you pay it yourself.

9 - When do I need to give the booking report to the local town hall, for touristic tax payment?
It´s a monthly report and always done by the last day of the following month since the check in day. For example; if check-in in may, report done until 30/6/2024.

10 - Once the report is supplied, when is the tourist tax due to be paid to the town hall?
Once the report is supplied, a reference for the tourist tax will be created and it can be paid up to 30 days since that day, by the bank/ homebanking or at the local town hall services.

Information Note no. 42/2024 Lagoa Municipal Tourist Tax

The Lagoa Municipal Tourist Tax came into force on 13 April 2024, in accordance with Regulation no. 425/2024, published in Diário da República no. 72 of 12/04/2024, and is charged by tourist resorts and local accommodation establishments to their guests.

The electronic platform for the Lagoa Municipal Tourist Tax, provided for in Article 3(3) of the aforementioned regulation, will be made available on 1 May 2024.

Nota Informativa - Taxa Municipal Turística de Lagoa - Inglês