Presentation

The aim of the Tax Revenue Annual Report is to provide information on the level and annual evolution of the tax revenues managed by the Tax Agency (AEAT) on behalf of the State, the Autonomous Regions and the Local Corporations of the Common Tax Regime Territory. 

The performance in tax collection series is not always easy to understand. Its strong variations stand in contrast with the more gradual trends that display the synthesis variables such as GDP or consumption. There are, however, reasons behind these discrepancies; regulatory changes, changes in tax management or the differential impact of economic developments on the different tax bases are some of them. 

Therefore, in order to properly understand the behavior of revenue and its relationship to economic flows, the Tax Revenue Annual Report employs an analysis method that not only considers tax revenues in terms of cash, but also relates them to accrued taxes. The latter are obtained by aggregating the tax returns and are linked to the effective rates and bases declared by the taxpayers. Thus, the explanatory scheme in each tax figure is organized in three levels: 

• Analysis of the evolution of the tax base and the average effective rate, level at which the basic source of information is the annual statistics available on the AEAT website. 

• Analysis of the evolution of accrued taxes, drawn up on the basis of the periodic self-assessment submitted by taxpayers in compliance with their tax liabilities. 

• Analysis of revenue in terms of cash, detailing the elements that may have led to tax revenue behaving differently from the tax liabilities incurred. 

The approach used covers the entire tax payment process: from the time the taxable event that generates the tax liability arises until it is finally settled and the tax is entered. It should be noted that, in general, the information on tax bases and accrued taxes for the last two years is provisional. 

This method of analysis is possible thanks to the information system available to the Tax Agency, which allows to prepare for each tax annual and quarterly aggregated series of taxable bases, accrued taxes, effective rates and cash collection, all constructed from the microdata provided by taxpayers. This aggregated information can be found on the website of the Tax Agency (https://sede.agenciatributaria.gob.es/Sede/en_gb/estadisticas.html). 

In addition, it is this same conceptual framework that supports the budgetary forecast of tax revenues. Its estimate is drawn up on the basis of the economic outlook for the following year. The increases in the taxable bases are adjusted in such a way that they adapt to the evolution profiles that the scenario projects. From the tax bases and the assumptions on the behavior of the effective rates, the accrued taxes are worked out which, when carried to the income period, result in the expected cash receipts. 

The report includes a brief summary of the key events that shaped revenue developments in 2024 and links to an external file containing data series dating back to 1995. Alongside this table file, two more are made available, one with information on revenues by Delegations since 2007 and another with the series of recognized rights since 2004. In addition, some of the tables are completed with files that include more detailed information that can be found on the web and, as is customary in monthly reports, another file collects the main regulatory developments and the series of legal rates of the taxes.

THE DIRECTOR OF THE TAX STUDIES AND STATISTICS SERVICE