Paying Cuenca's municipal taxes, contributions, and fees for 2024

The municipality of Cuenca collects taxes, contributions, and fees from its citizens every year. In 2024, it expects to collect USD 81 million.

If you own real estate in the canton of Cuenca, you will need to pay municipal property taxes.

If you don't own real estate or run a business in the canton of Cuenca, you usually don't directly pay taxes and contributions. The municipality collects many of its contributions via utility companies. When you pay for electricity and water, you'll see, for example, additional items for the fire department and waste collection on your invoices.

What do you must pay

In case you must make a direct payment, you'll receive a printed payment note that specifies what you must pay.

Payments can fall into three categories:

• Municipal taxes
• Improvement contributions (for road improvements, for example)
• Fees

Discounts

For property taxes, you'll receive a discount depending on when you pay. The earlier you pay, the higher the discount.

Property tax discounts for urban properties:

• January 1 to 15: 10%
• January 16 to 31: 9%
• February 1 to 15: 8%
• February 16 to 28: 7%
• March 1 to 15: 6%
• March 16 to 31: 5%
• April 1 to 15: 4%
• April 16 to 30: 3%
• June 1 to 15: 2%
• June 16 to 30: 1%

Improvement contributions

There used to be discounts for improvement contributions as well, but the Comptroller's Office stated last year that there is no legal basis for these discounts. Therefore, the municipality will no longer give discounts when you pay improvement contributions. People who have received discounts on improvement contributions from 2018 to 2023 must pay back these discounts. In 2024, the municipality will collect the discounts that were given in 2018.

How to pay

You can pay your taxes, contributions, and fees online or at one of the 200 payment points.

Online: Pago de impuestos, tasas y contribuciones. On this website, you can pay in two ways: by bank transfers or by credit card.

Payment points include:

• Municipal Treasury Office (Calle Sucre and Calle Simón Bolívar in the historic center): from 8 am to 7 pm until January 15.
• Mayor's Office (Calle Simón Bolívar and Calle Borrero in the historic center): from 8 am to 5.30 pm until January 15.
• Parque La Libertad Municipal Office (Calle Nicanor Merchán and Avenida Héroes de Verdeloma): from 08:00 to 17:30 until January 15.
• Municipal Control Office (second floor of the Cuenca Airport): from 8 am to 5:30 pm until January 15.
• Offices and stores of municipal companies such as EMOV, ETAPA, and Farmasol.
• 11 banks and credit unions.
• Payment points of Servipagos, Western Union, and Facilito.