The haciendas of Araba, Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa have released data from the 2019 collection. As you have pointed out, this is the largest in history and, far from the initial fear of bad revenue, it has increased by EUR 488 million from last year’s revenue to EUR 15.469 million.

The data is not the same if you consider who has put the money. The increase is mainly due to the progressive IRPF paid by workers through the levy and the indirect VAT paid by all citizens alike, whether they are rich or poor. In Gipuzkoa, for example, income tax revenue increased by 5.1%, in Bizkaia by 7.7% and in Álava by 4.52%.

On the contrary, corporate tax revenue has been greatly reduced: last year EUR 1.476 million was paid into the coffers and this year only EUR 1.272 million, according to the calculation made by Iker Aranburu in Berria. Attention is drawn to the data provided by the Provincial Council of Bizkaia last week, as the money that companies pay for their profits in this territory has fallen by 17%.

By the end of 2017, the PNV, the PSE and the PP agreed to a tax reform that reduced the nominal company rate by four points (the largest company from 28% to 24% and the lowest from 24% to 20%). The reform was highly criticised, because it only increased the gap between workers and companies, and because the weight of Corporate Tax on GDP in the CAPV is much smaller: Compared to the 2.5% European average, only 1.5%.

PNV and PSE argued that the tax reduction would be offset by changes in the allowances and deductions. In 2019, at least, the balance has increased with regard to companies and it will be seen to what extent this imbalance with what workers put in by 2020, when the tax reform is fully implemented.