The impact of the different tax approaches applied by the autonomies leaves the Catalans as the most displeased, those who see their model as the most unfair, according to the first Report on the Spanish Income Statement and Tax Policy, prepared by the online platform TaxScouts.
The survey reveals that 61% of Spaniards consider that the fiscal regime of their autonomy is unfair, for 75% of Catalans, well above the average. Catalonia is followed by Aragon (73%), Asturias (71%) and the Balearic Islands (70%). On the other hand, Madrid is the exception to the norm, since it is the only community where the majority of citizens (52%) believe that its tax system is fair.
What accounts for these disparate opinions? Gema Santiso, TaxScouts tax advisor, points out that “the tax rate for low and medium incomes in Catalonia is similar to that of other communities”. But the difference comes in the highest incomes, where the tax rate is much higher than, for example, in Madrid. However, she points out that the main prejudice suffered by Catalans is that of regional deductions, since “they hardly have deductions that can be applied when making rent and that makes life more expensive for the middle class ”.
It also weighs inheritance and donation tax. “Mainly, in the autonomies where the PP governs, this tax is zero, but in those where the PP does not govern, a percentage is applied,” says Santiso. Therefore, “it is not so much the number of taxes of each autonomy, but the tax rate that each one applies”, clarifies the tax advisor.
Faced with what seems to be an obvious problem, an option is proposed: that fiscal policy be applied at the national level. A solution that 75% of those surveyed would welcome in order to avoid inequalities between communities. The Aragonese are the main defenders of this route. 91% of them advocate the unification of fiscal policy. Behind, others such as the Andalusians (84%), the Murcians (84%), the Asturians (81%) and the Castilian Leonese (80%).
Santiso is running against the different tax rates in each community and defends that a tax policy at the national level “would be fair.” Of course, he is in favor of specific deductions for each region, since “each territory is different and has specific needs,” he says. For example, he states that autonomies with depopulation problems can benefit young people with standard incomes through deductions to go live in rural areas.
The study indicates that the differences between communities would motivate 25% of Spaniards to value, even, the change of their residence to another community to benefit from certain fiscal policies. The people of Extremadura, with 73%, are the ones who are most open to moving, while the Balearic people are the most reluctant.
The opinion of the Spaniards on other territories has also been collected in the survey. Although practically all citizens believe that their autonomy is the one in which the most taxes are paid, 28% believe that Catalonia is where they pay the most, followed by Madrid (22%), the Basque Country (11%) and Andalusia (9%). . On the contrary, the Spanish think that Ceuta and Melilla, Castilla-La Mancha, La Rioja and Extremadura are the cities and communities with the least fiscal pressure.
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