The Tax Agency expects the autonomous communities to collect 1,287 million euros through the Wealth Tax in the 2022 campaign, which represents a cut of almost 50 million compared to 2021, when imports amounted to 1,336 million. And for the general director of the entity attached to the Ministry of Finance and Public Function, Soledad Fernández, the new bonuses required by some of the territories governed by the Popular Party are responsible for this forecast. The Andalusian Government of Juanma Moreno used to apply a 100% bonus for the 2022 financial year, which was already applied in Madrid, while the Galician Executive of Alfonso Rueda, promised to raise the current rate from 25% to 50% for the next 2023.
According to these forecasts, 2022 will break the pattern drawn in recent years, since since 2018 there have been uninterrupted increases in collection. It should be noted that in 2021 they did so especially by growing by more than 133 million due to the increase in great fortunes in the heat of new forms of business that made their way during the harshest months of the pandemic. Therefore, despite the cut that the Tax Agency expects in the volume of income from the 2022 campaign, the autonomous communities will collect 11.5% more than in the pre-covid period. In addition, the contributions of Catalonia will gain importance, given that this territory barely has discounts for this tax.
These 49 million differences do not go unnoticed by the central government and are the reason why they bought the Temporary Solidarity Tax for Great Fortunes (ITSGF), with which they hope to raise 1,500 million euros. Sources from the Ministry headed by María Jesús Montero confirm that the portfolio has not modified these forecasts. However, from the Registry of Fiscal Advisory Economists (REAF) they value that these numbers are too optimistic. The technical secretary of the REAF of the General Council of Economists, Luis del Amo, considers that the State will be able to get a good part of what these communities would have collected in the case of not having subsidized the Wealth Tax, although this income may not reach the 1,000 million.
The tax applied to wealth is of a state nature, but it is ceded to the autonomous communities, so they, within the framework of their legislative competence, can modify it, through the approval of bonuses or by raising the minimum exempt from tax. Paying taxes. Within this freedom, they can introduce changes in favor of the citizen or in favor of increasing collection. However, the autonomous territories have opted without exception for the first route, as highlighted by the Treasury inspector, Jose María Peláez in conversation with La Información. “The autonomous communities have not exercised their power to increase the percentage to be paid, there is a clear tendency to favor when contributing,” he appreciates.
For the inspector, this lack of consensus between the regional and central governments has given rise to a “shattered tax system.” “The politicians are unable to reach an agreement and leave a tax system riddled with patches,” he reproaches. For this reason, Peláez believes that it is essential that the law that regulates the financing system of the autonomous communities be updated and that within this framework it be decided whether or not to maintain the Wealth Tax, which was created in the century with a vocation to be temporary. It has been fixed for years, however, some territories have found a way to avoid it and those taxpayers “get rid” of this burden. Given this, the Government chooses to create a new tax and complicates the fiscal framework.
Precisely, this possible interference in a regional competition is what has led the three ‘popular’ autonomous communities to file appeals before the Constitutional Court, alleging that the Government of Pedro Sánchez has invaded the reserve of regional law with this issue. The unconstitutionality appeal presented by the Junta de Andalucía was admitted for processing just a few weeks ago, so the Constitutional Court will study the legality of the tax in a plenary session called for next week, together with the challenges of the Community of Madrid and Galicia . However, it has refused to temporarily suspend the tax, as demanded by the Government of Juanma Moreno.
