The decision follows the controversy sparked in recent days after it emerged that Amazon was paying this tax in Madrid, despite having operational data centers in Aragón. The regional government and various business organizations had called on the multinational to pay taxes in the municipalities where it operates, so that the tax revenue would go directly to those communities.
WHICH MUNICIPALITIES IN ARAGÓN WILL RECEIVE THE MONEY?
The main beneficiaries will be Villanueva de Gállego, El Burgo de Ebro and Huesca, the three municipalities where Amazon has had operating data centers since 2022. According to the company, the change in how the tax is paid will take effect immediately, and the municipalities will also be compensated for the previous four years. For now, the amount each community will receive and the payment dates have not been specified.
WHY DID AMAZON PAY ITS TAXES IN MADRID?
Until now, Amazon paid the IAE through a national assessment, a system that allows certain activities to be taxed across the whole of Spain. However, a binding ruling issued by the Directorate-General for Taxation in February 2026 clarified that data center activity must be taxed through a municipal assessment. This means that the tax corresponding to these facilities must be paid in the municipalities where they are located.
ARAGÓN GOVERNMENT DEMANDS THAT DATA CENTERS PAY TAXES IN THE REGION
The announcement comes after the Aragón government repeatedly stressed the need for major technology companies to pay the taxes corresponding to their activities in the region. This Thursday, Development Minister Octavio López reiterated that the regional executive would demand these tax obligations not only from Amazon, but also from other companies developing data center projects, such as Microsoft and Blackstone. The claims also concern other taxes, such as property tax and the tax on construction, installations and works (ICIO).
The decision comes as Amazon expands in Aragón, where its investment and expansion projects exceed 33 billion euros. The three data centers already in operation will be joined by future facilities and expansions planned in different parts of the region, including La Cartuja Baja, San Mateo de Gállego, La Puebla de Híjar, Azaila and the area around Walqa, in Huesca. Under the new tax criteria, municipalities hosting these infrastructures will be able to collect the IAE corresponding directly to their activity.
