Concept and types of taxes. Taxes

Among the public revenues that the State and other Public Administrations must obtain to finance public needs, the most notable are the taxes , which are monetary benefits that citizens are required by law to pay.

In turn, taxes are classified into rates, special contributions, and taxes. fees are paid by citizens as a result of carrying out an administrative action that benefits them individually, but which they are obliged to request or receive, such as garbage collection or the issuance of an ID card. Special contributions are paid when a public action aimed at meeting a collective need produces a special benefit to certain individuals. For example, the increase in the value of a property as a result of the execution of a public work.

Finally, the taxes are the most important taxes, since it is through them that most public revenue is obtained to cover collective needs. These are amounts that are required by law without any specific individualized compensation and are based on facts that demonstrate the economic capacity of citizens.

Economic or payment capacity is, therefore, fundamental when talking about taxes. It is a principle based on criteria of equity and distributive justice, and according to it, greater economic capacity implies greater capacity to meet public burdens.

This economic capacity of each citizen is manifested in different ways, either through the wealth they possess (assets), or through the income they obtain (rent), or through the consumption they make. Therefore, the various existing taxes fall on one of these three manifestations of people's ability to pay.