Real Estate Property, the most conservative type of capital, holds always the interest of everyone, regardless of social status, cultural or economic level. Irrespective of the social structural changes, real estate property still remains esteemed and up to now it is collectively considered as the safest type of investment as well as the most acceptable sign of credibility.
The fact that real estate property permeates the total social and financial structure of a country makes all governments consider it as the most appropriate way to promote their financial, administrative, and social policies. The same practice is being followed exactly by municipalities and local governments, which are mostly classified in more than one level.
As such this particular practice indicates that real estate property remains always the most burdened type of capital or income on international level! In general, real estate property is the sole form of capital that can be surcharged with multiple, burdensome and sometimes practically confiscating taxation, for instance:
a. Any type of capital tax upon the ownership, the transaction or its value growth.
b. Income tax, which is often imposed rather at higher tax-rates on income deriving from immovable property, than on income from other sources.
c. Transfer tax, which is imposed on real estate property exclusively.
d. V.A.T., which can be imposed on the cost of building construction as well as on the transactions or on the income, deriving from renting.
e. Most of the municipal rates, that can be imposed for any reason.
f. Many other rates and contributions in favour of insurance organizations, national legal persons, even various churches.

The combined result of these surcharges upon real estate property cannot be represented accurately at global level due to the mass of disparate legislations and practices. Nevertheless, UIPI, has published a detailed report in 2003 titled "IMMOVALE PROPERTY IN EUROPE".
Now UIPI, through its Taxation Working Committee, is engaged in the conduct of a new comparative survey that would focus on the main taxation issues concerning real estate property.

Real estate property owners are heavily taxed in some European countries. In some of them there is simultaneously both a large number of taxes as well as high tax rates, making the total burden unbearable for the tax-payer. For more information please use the following links:

UIPI: IMMOVABLE PROPERTY IN EUROPE, Berlin, 2003 (To save instead of opening: Right click >> 'Save as')

EU COMMISSION DATABASE: TAXES IN EUROPE.