Wave of Unusual Property Tax Increase Requests: How It Will Affect Your Wallet

121 local authorities have submitted exceptional requests to change property tax orders for 2027, beyond the automatic increase of 3.05%. Nazareth requests a total increase of 33.05%, the highest, while Ashkelon and Kfar Vradim request reductions. The President of the Chamber of Commerce, Shahar Turjeman, attacked the trend, saying business owners are not the emergency fund of the authorities. The requests are under review by the Ministry of Interior.

121 local authorities have submitted exceptional requests to change their property tax orders for 2027, beyond the automatic mechanism that sets a uniform increase of 3.05% across the country. This means that in dozens of cities and councils, residents and businesses are expected to pay much more than the routine increase, and in some cases, it is a jump of several times. The requests fall into three categories: increases on all properties, increases for residential only, and increases for businesses only. The most prominent request comes from Nazareth, where a sweeping increase of 30% was requested, so the total increase is expected to reach 33.05% after adding the automatic mechanism. Ashkelon and Kfar Vradim are the only authorities that requested a reduction. The President of the Chamber of Commerce, Shahar Turjeman, came out strongly against the trend: "Business owners are not the emergency fund of local authorities, and raising property tax is not a substitute for responsible management." According to him, many authorities prefer to raise property tax instead of becoming more efficient and cutting expenses. In Hevel Modi'in, the increase for businesses is part of a multi-year plan approved until 2031. In Ramat Gan, they requested to raise property tax for businesses in the Stock Exchange complex by 10%. All requests are under review by the Ministry of Interior, which will approve or reject each one individually. Until the final decision, residents and business owners in the listed authorities should keep an eye on their next property tax bill.