Balancing the new Catalan accounts will force a tax reform, especially in housing and heritage. Details of the future taxation of Catalonia that are beginning to be revealed.
What changes in Catalonia’s taxation of Catalonia will contribute 180 million to the autonomous coffers?
The need for an agreement in the approval of the Budget of the Generalitat for 2017 has forced the Catalan executive to work with measures that are loaded with controversy on tax issues.
The agreement seems to finally come in aspects like the elimination of some deductions and the increase of certain taxes. Changes that are expected to raise up to 180 million euros for regional coffers.
The three fundamental axes of the reform will modify: the autonomous section of the IRPF, the Taxes of Successions and Donations and the Tax on the Heritage.
Changes in Income Tax
One most commented measures will be the elimination of part of the deductions for housing purchase.
The change will make all those taxpayers with a tax base higher than 30,000 euros and who are over 32 years old, stop benefiting from the 1.5% residential deduction (included in the autonomous tax tranche).
Currently, all those taxpayers who purchased before July 2011 are entitled to this deduction. A total of 866,000 owners according to Renta 2014.
After the modification, up to 250,000 people who invested in a regular home will lose this right. Despite this, the autonomous deduction of 7.5% for purchases prior to 2011 and the state deduction of 7.5% if the house was bought before 2013 will be maintained.
Tourism and housing taxes
The so-called ‘tourist tax’ will also undergo modifications to control the proliferation of holiday accommodation.
A tax of up to 2.25 euros per night will be applied that will be paid by the rent management operator, whether or not the dwelling is regulated. Cruise passengers will also have to pay a tax for short stays that until now did not exist, at the rate of each traveler (0.65 euros for stays of less than 12 hours and 2.25 euros for superiors).
While the tax on empty apartments will set a minimum exemption from 350m2 with the aim of especially charging the homes in the hands of banks.
Tax burden on large fortunes
Catalonia will continue to count on a tax inspired by that of the Diputación Foral de Guipúzcoa on large fortunes. Increased its tax burden from 10% to 11% in the sale of real estate worth more than one million euros.
A tribute that is accompanied by one for sale of gold or aircraft and that goes from 4% to 5%.
Finally, there will be changes in the Tax on the Patrimony with a future Law of Fiscal and Financial Measures. The modification of this tax will only penalize non productive assets owned by companies and not from large fortunes.
A tax on housing, high-end vehicles or yachts will be taxed for properties, which until now could be deducted by Societies, Patrimony and even VAT, avoiding its taxation.
