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.

The signing in 2018 of the Addendum to the Agreement with the General Treasury of Social Security regarding the reciprocal exchange of information and collection management stands out.

As a consequence of the agreements for the transfer of information to other Administrations, the Tax Agency has attended, during 2018, more than 70.7 million requests for information related to the Personal Income Tax (approximately half of the Ministry of Health) and more than 7.4 million certificates of being up to date with tax obligations.

Likewise, the Tax Agency supplies information to the Courts, Tribunals and members of the Public Prosecutor's Office. During 2018, within the framework stipulated in the collaboration agreement with the General Council of the Judiciary (CGPJ) and the Ministry of Justice, the standardized supplies that have been carried out directly and automated through the Judicial Neutral Point managed by the CGPJ, they have amounted to more than 10 million. In addition, 11,373 non-standardized requests for information have been processed.

Currently, the tax figures of a statistical nature serve to reduce the sample sizes of the surveys carried out by bodies such as the Spanish Statistical Office, the National Social Security Institute, the Banco de España and the Ministry of Public Works. On the other hand, the use of administrative records of a fiscal origin is widespread for large scale statistical operations for citizens, such as the Labour Force, Labour Costs, Industrial, Services and Foreign Trade Surveys, among others.