When we say we handle everything, we mean it: permits, legalisation, grid connection, paperwork with the administration. There is one exception we always make clear: we do not process the IBI council-tax rebate. It is not laziness. It is honesty. And if another company promises that «they will take care of the IBI», they are almost certainly selling you smoke.
This article explains, with real cases, why no council lets you delegate this rebate to a third party — not the installer, not a manager, not an advisor — and why applying for it can become very expensive if the property has irregularities.
First: the council does not let a third party do it
The IBI rebate for a solar installation is not a regional or national subsidy. It is a municipal tax benefit. Each town hall sets percentages, deadlines and requirements… and changes them at will. But one constant shows up almost everywhere:
- The application must be filed by the cadastral owner / the IBI taxpayer.
- There is no standard procedure for an installation company (or an external advisor) to process it «on the customer's behalf» with full legal effect.
- The council asks for property data that only the owner knows or can prove: planning status, licences, cadastre, registration, and so on.
So when a salesperson says «we handle the IBI rebate for you», in practice it usually means one of three things:
- They fill in a PDF and you still have to file it (then they are not processing anything: they are handing you a form).
- They promise something the council will not accept signed by them.
- They are simply lying to close the sale.
No council «delegates» the IBI rebate to a third party the way industry paperwork can be delegated. Not to A Todo Sol. Not to the competition. Not to your advisor. The obligated party and the beneficiary is you.
The bigger issue: the application can expose irregularities
This is the main reason we refuse to sell IBI smoke. When you ask for a rebate, the council does not only look at your panel invoice. It often reviews the property: cadastre, works, licences, annexes… And if it finds something irregular, the problem is no longer «you miss €800». The problem is the fine.
We have seen exactly that. More than once.
Case 1: the illegal BBQ worth €800… and the €5,000 fine
A customer wanted the IBI rebate after installing solar. In their municipality the theoretical saving was about €800 over five years. They applied themselves at the town hall — as it must be done.
During the check, the council found an unlicensed BBQ / auxiliary build on the plot. Result: instead of a small tax relief, a fine of about €5,000. They went for a minor rebate and left with a penalty several times larger.
That was not random bad luck. It was the natural effect of putting the property under administrative scrutiny.
Case 2: a fully irregular construction
Another customer had an unregularised building or extension and still wanted «someone» to process the IBI rebate after installing panels. We explained the risk clearly: if the council reviews the application, the most likely outcome is not a discount… it is an enforcement file for the irregularity.
In those situations, selling the IBI rebate as a checkbox on the quote is reckless. Whoever sells it that way is not protecting the customer: they are pushing them into a process that can get very expensive.
Case 3: «we'll handle it»… then «you go to the town hall»
This is the most common pattern from unserious competitors. In the sales pitch: «IBI included / we process it». After signing: «we prepare the papers and you file them», or «the council does not accept representation», or follow-up disappears. The customer learns late that there was never a real power of attorney or a legal channel for the company to do it for them.
Case 4: deadlines, percentages and fine print that change every year
Even when the home is planning-perfect, the rebate depends on:
- whether your municipality has it active that year,
- whether there is a quota or call,
- whether the percentage is 10%, 50% or zero,
- whether it requires an energy certificate, electrical bulletin, licence, or a one-month deadline after installation.
A company from outside your town does not control that local rule. Anyone who sells it as «guaranteed» is lying by omission.
Why A Todo Sol does not process it (and tells you before you sign)
- Legally it cannot be generally delegated. The council deals with the taxpayer. Not the installer.
- We do not know (and must not invent) your home's planning status. That is the owner's responsibility. We install and legalise the PV system; we do not audit BBQs, porches, pools or undeclared annexes.
- We will not push you into a process that can end in a fine just to dress up a quote with a commercial extra that sounds good.
What we do handle — for real — is what we control: project, installation permits, electrical legalisation, utility registration, tax deductions where they apply, and lifetime technical support.
What you can do if you want to apply for IBI
- Ask your town hall (or e-office) whether a self-consumption rebate exists and what documents it requires.
- Before filing anything, make sure the home and annexes are in planning order. If unsure, speak to an architect or municipal technician.
- File the application yourself as the owner. We provide the installation documents (invoice, report, certificates) the council usually asks for.
- Distrust anyone who sells it as «included and guaranteed» without looking at your plot.
Clear bottom line
We do not process IBI rebates because it cannot be done properly in someone else's name, and because doing it badly can cost you thousands in fines. We would rather lose that sales claim than put you in trouble. If another company says they will do it for you, ask in writing: under what power of attorney? before which registry? who signs? who answers if the council opens a file?
The answer is almost always silence. Or an excuse. That is why A Todo Sol says it on the website, in the quote and in the conversation: we handle everything… except IBI rebates.