4.4.1. Transfer of information

For years, and increasingly, the Tax Agency has transferred information to other Public Administrations in order for them to carry out their entrusted functions and provide the citizens with the public services for which they are competent in the most efficient way. That information transfer generally requires the prior consent of the interested party.

The tax information provided in this manner to other public organisms, apart from saving citizens millions of trips each year to request tax certificates and reducing procedure times and management costs in the Administrations, has contributed to avoid and fight frauds when obtaining social benefits, subsidies or government aid.

As a consequence of the information transfer agreements to other Administrations, during 2014 the Tax Agency attended to almost 61.5 million requests for information relating to Personal Income Tax (approximately one-half from the Health Ministry) and over 6 million certificates of being up-to-date with tax obligations.

In this manner, the Tax Agency supplies information to the Courts, Tribunals and members of the Public Treasury. The information is provided by the Communication Offices with the Courts of the Agency's Delegations, according to the territorial scope of the requesting judicial body, or by the Cabinet of the Director-General if they are judicial bodies with competence throughout the national territory. Details on requests for information are provided in Table 34 of the Annex.