3.1. Gross tax collection

The gross amount of tax collected comprises the effective incomes obtained in the fiscal year from both the self-assessment tax returns filed by taxpayers and from the settlements carried out by the Tax Agency. It is therefore set on a cash basis.

The total gross collection managed by the Tax Agency in 2019 reached 266,724 million euros, 8,570 million higher than that achieved in the same period of the previous year (3.3 percent increase).

The behavior of gross income, in aggregate terms and once the effect of regulatory measures has been eliminated (which subtract three tenths from the growth of gross collection), is largely explained by the evolution of the aggregate tax base in 2019, whose Growth was 3.8 percent, four tenths above the increase experienced by domestic demand (3.4 percent).

The economic context in 2019 was one of deceleration. The general real indicators (GDP, affiliates) moderated their growth as the year progressed. The same could be observed in the indicators constructed from fiscal information (deflated total sales and number of salary recipients in Large Companies and corporate SMEs), although in this case it was seen that the deceleration slowed down in the months centers of the year. At the same time, consumer prices grew less than in 2018, with core inflation gently rising in recent months. This same downward trend, with a certain slowdown in the final stretch of the year, was reproduced in income and was accentuated by the effect in 2019 of the increases in public salaries and pensions contemplated in the 2018 Budget (effective since July of that year). This evolution was only altered with the presentation of the positive quotas of the annual declarations in the middle of the year.

If gross income is taken into account by figures, personal income tax collection increased by 6.2 percent and, if the impact of regulatory measures is eliminated, the growth would be 7.5 percent. This rate was the result, mainly, of the strong increase in withholdings from work and gross income from the annual declaration. Withholdings from the private sector grew at a good pace, despite the moderation in employment and the decrease in the rate for the lowest incomes, and those from the public sector increased due to increases in public salaries and pensions. Fractional payments from personal companies also grew intensely (although their impact on tax growth is minor), by 7 percent.

Income from Corporate Tax decreased by 3.3 percent, the most notable fact being the considerable decrease in installment payments (-6.3 percent), partly as a consequence of the high increase that occurred in 2018, concentrated in a small collective of groups. The drop was partly offset by 10 percent growth in revenue from the 2018 annual return, settled in 2019.

In the Non-Resident Income Tax, income also registered drops, in this case of 6.2 percent, due to the high income that was recorded in 2018 in the annual tax declaration and the lower collection in respect of tax returns. inspection.

In the case of VAT, gross receipts increased by 3.6 percent, with a somewhat larger increase in SMEs (4 percent) than in the income of Large Companies and imports (3.3 percent). . In both cases, growth moderated throughout the year, in line with the evolution of sales and inflation.

Income from Special Taxes increased by 5.1 percent, but only thanks to the inclusion of the old regional rate in the special Hydrocarbon Tax rate. Without this contribution or the rest of the regulatory changes, income would have decreased by 0.7 percent. In the Hydrocarbon Tax, collection (without regulatory changes) grew by 0.2 percent. The growth was small because the increase in main consumption (gasoline and automotive diesel) was also small; In addition to this, other products, with less weight, saw their consumption reduced. Revenue from the Tobacco Tax fell for the third consecutive year. Collection was at its lowest level since 2007. In the Electricity Tax, the increase in income was 1.8 percent, below the records of previous years. Added to the negative results in electricity consumption was the drop in prices in the final part of the year when compared to a period of rebound in prices in 2018. Revenue from the Coal Tax was reduced by almost half as a consequence, mainly, of the indirect effects of RDL 15/2018, which eliminated the Hydrocarbon Tax for natural gas used in the generation of electrical energy and made it less competitive charcoal. The intentions to progressively abandon this form of production announced by the large operators may also have had an effect this year. Finally, revenues from taxes related to alcohol (Alcohol and derived beverages and Beer) increased by 0.9 percent, mainly due to the increase in beer consumption.

Finally, in relation to fees and other income (Chapter III), gross collection grew by 10.2 percent, thanks to the good results of the fees and, in particular, the increase in income in the Canon from the use of continental waters for the production of electrical energy, with low performance in 2018 due to the drought of 2017 (the fee is settled the following year).

Table nº 12. Total gross tax collection New window (Annex).