Tax measures to combat the energy crisis resulting from the armed conflict in the Middle East: Special Electricity Tax
During the year 2026, three royal decree-laws have been issued establishing specific measures in relation to the Special Tax on Electricity, on an exceptional and temporary basis;
- Royal Decree-Law 7/2026, of March 20, whose article 40 establishes a temporary reduction of the tax rate;
- Royal Decree-Law 18/2026, of June 29, whose articles 12 and 13 contemplate the possible application of the reduced rate during the months of August and September
- Royal Decree-Law 25/2026, of September 29, whose articles 20 and 21 again provide for the conditional application of the reduced rate during the months of November and December.
The measures introduced by them are summarized in the following table:
| RD-Law | PERIOD | APPLICABLE RATE | COMMENTS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7/2026 | March 22-May 31 | 0.5% | Application of the reduced rate |
| 7/2026 | June | 5.11269632% | It does not exceed 15% CPI in April 2025 |
| July | 5.11269632% | Ordinary type | |
| 18/2026 | August | 5.11269632% | It does not exceed 15% CPI June 2025 |
| 18/2026 | September | 5.11269632% | It does not exceed 15% CPI in July 2025 |
| October | 5.11269632% | Ordinary type | |
| 25/2026 | November | 5.11269632% or 0.5% | Based on the September 2025 CPI * |
| 25/2026 | December | 5.11269632% or 0.5% | Based on the October 2025 CPI * |
*Considering it necessary to maintain certain measures on a temporary basis, Articles 20 and 21 of the aforementioned Royal Decree-Law 25/2026 establish that the tax rate of the Special Tax on Electricity provided for in section 1 of Article 99 of Law 38/1992, of December 28, on Special Taxes, will be able to reduce in the months of November and December from 5.11269632 percent to 0.5 percent in 2026, with this reduction being subject to the CPI for electricity in the months of September and October 2026 exceeding by more than 15% respectively the CPI of the same months of the previous year.