• Taxes. The Government now cuts 20% its collection forecast for the 'Google rate'
  • Commercial sanctions. The US warns Sánchez about the 'Google Rate': "If you impose it, we will take measures to defend our interests"

Before the start of her appearance before the Treasury commission of the Congress, Minister María Jesús Montero had been cautious about the United States' claims regarding the Google rate . Moreover, at first he pointed out that the notices advanced by this newspaper were not, in any case, threats. But already in his second turn of intervention, and before the criticisms of the Popular Party, Montero has raised the tone. A lot .

" Why do you grant that ability to Mr. Trump? Do you think, that we have to kneel or that what we have to do is lead Europe to be a harmonized tax? " The Minister of Finance responded harshly to the PP spokeswoman, Carolina Spain, who in her first turn had criticized the approval of the tax by the Government despite notices from the United States.

In this way, Montero has influenced the fiscal sovereignty of a country, something that it has already done on previous occasions, although at the same time it has underlined the need for the European Union to jointly advance the tax on certain digital services. And at that point he has highlighted the role of France, whose model has been followed by Spain since both countries have approved their respective taxes, and has ended up asking Spain sarcastically: "Or is it that France is a bad country in fiscal matters ? " .

The objectives of the Treasury

The words of Montero, who has also responded harshly to Citizens, have come after presenting the objectives of his Ministry for the coming months and making it clear that he wants to raise more taxes and more public spending. " We must bring the average tax rate closer to the level of the European Union. And we also have to raise public spending . We are the fifth country with the lowest income on EU GDP," Montero explained during his speech at the first meeting of the aforementioned Commission in this legislature.

And then, it has begun to enumerate the next fiscal steps: raising the minimum type of Companies to 15%, a figure that reaches 18% in the case of banks and hydrocarbon companies; increase in income tax at higher incomes; or the green tax that will increase the price of diesel.

Another key point will be fiscal harmonization between communities, which is nothing more than matching the taxes assigned to the regions. Avoid what the minister always qualifies as tax dumping , that is, that some communities can lower taxes to attract investments or capital. The clearest case is Madrid, to which Montero has not made reference on this occasion but which he has accused on more than one occasion of incurring this practice. To this end, and also to improve the distribution of funds among communities, the minister has pledged to present in November a "skeleton" of the regional financing reform .

Budgets for before summer

Regarding the approval of the Budgets, Montero has expressed the desire of the Executive to approve the accounts "before the summer", which implies a certain advance since until now the date marked had been "before the end of the summer". In any case, the minister has always made it clear that the presentation will only take place when the necessary agreements are closed, so ERC continues to have the key to the process.

Record in the fight against fraud: 15.7 billion in revenue

The Minister of Finance has announced that the Tax Agency recorded a record collection of 15.7 billion euros in the fight against tax fraud in 2019, which is 4.1% more than the previous year. María Jesús Montero Montero has indicated that compliance with tax obligations will continue to improve, since "some taxpayers do not declare due to ignorance or because they do not have the data".

Therefore, he explained that the VAT draft will be expanded, with census information; as well as the sending of fiscal data in the Corporation Tax, similar to that of the IRPF, which is expected to be carried out already in the 2019 Income Campaign to develop it in July of this year.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

Know more

  • Taxes

CollectionThe battle of 2,500 million VAT: "Treasury snatches money from the Communities"

Economy The Board will take the Government to court for the 'VAT war'

FinancingMore PSOE barons against the Treasury: Valencia and Aragon also join the PP's VAT rebellion