- A campaign of tax evasion has been launched this year by several associations in the Basque Country. This campaign to renounce military expenses and large infrastructures in the income statement and finance fair projects managed to divert 100,000 euros in the Spanish State last year. They offer a support service www.eragozpenfiskala.org through the web and in the offices located in the Basque Country for this purpose. The campaign is being carried out by Miguel Ángel Martínez, member of the KEM-MOC of Bilbao.
What is it and why do you run a tax evasion campaign?
First of all, we want to make it clear that this is not a campaign to pay less taxes. Through the declaration of income, it is a renunciation of the financing of unfair budgets. In this way, the money that goes to military spending, the rescue of banking, the militarization of borders, the High-Speed Train and macrostructures like this... is destined to support and promote alternatives of a transformative and supportive nature. We want to dedicate money to projects based on peace, social justice, feminism, antimilitarism...
For what purpose did you set it up?
This campaign has been going on for 30 years. Although it is coordinated at the national level, due to our special characteristics in the UAE we started our own campaign last year between Setem and KEM MOC. This year we are moving forward together with Mundubat, CSR, Fiare’s support team, Ecologists in Action, Mundubat and Kakitzat.
How do you do it?
The technical steps are a bit complicated for citizens who do not understand much about numbers, that is why we have launched the service of attention. We call our phone number on our website and make an appointment at our offices in Bizkaia, Gipuzkoa and Álava, where we offer a free service.
We can decide on any amount and then give that amount to the association we want. The purpose of this action, as has already been said, is not to pay less taxes, but to make a detour. That is why we have to send the receipt of the income we have made, along with the declaration to the Diputación, with a note explaining the reasons for our action if we wish.
Being an act of civil disobedience, what consequences can it have?
Civil disobedience means confronting unjust laws and the fiscal impediment is that, irregularity. Therefore, if the hacienda catches us, it will reject us, saying that we have usually been confused, and sometimes with a “penalty” of 5%. That’s why we have to measure what we deviate and it has to be the amount we can take on, we usually recommend a symbolic objection of 84 euros.
Many people have doubts, but we encourage them not to be afraid. In fact, it is rarely rejected because it is very difficult for the Treasury to control all the irregularities.