Unanimously adopted by the Municipal Council on June 30, 2026, the outdoor advertising tax (TPE) will come into force on January 1, 2027. To allow businesses time to prepare, the City of Pézenas has chosen to inform each of the 110 concerned companies individually. These businesses can still adapt their signage before this date.
The decision, voted on by the 28 elected officials of the Municipal Council, aims to control advertising across the entire territory, not just in the old town. City entrances, avenues, and business parks are the first images of Pézenas, and it is here that signs are most numerous and largest. The tax is designed to be incentive-based, with its amount depending on the cumulative surface area of the signs. Each square meter less reduces the cost, and a more sober sign can move a business into a lower tax bracket.
The TPE represents an estimated annual revenue of approximately €218,700 for the municipality. These funds will contribute to financing public services and amenities that benefit everyone, including businesses, amidst significant constraints on local finances.
Most local shops and artisans are not affected, as signs of 7 m² or less are exempt by law. The City has gone further, fully exempting un-ground-fixed signs up to 12 m², and halving the tax for those between 12 and 20 m². In the historic center, the rules for the remarkable heritage site already govern sign sizes, and most businesses are exempt.
Businesses can reduce the surface area of their signs and advertisements before December 31, 2026, to have their TPE moderately reduced. The tax will only be effective from January 1, 2027, and revenue notices will be issued starting September 1, 2027, more than a year after the TPE's adoption by the Municipal Council.
