In the neighborhoods of Barcelona, as well as in municipalities of Girona and Tarragona, thousands of pensioners face these days the income campaign with doubts about the obligation to pay tax for the IRPF. State regulations establish that those who exclusively receive a public pension and do not exceed 22,000 euros annually, in general, are not obliged to file the declaration.
Situations that oblige to declare
The situation changes when a public pension is combined with a private one. If the amount received from the second payer exceeds 8,000 euros annually and the total income exceeds 14,000 euros per year, the person must pay income tax. This scenario especially affects those who have worked in different sectors or have contracted private retirement plans, something common in industrial areas of Vallès or in the metropolitan area of Tarragona.
Withholdings applied to pensions
Withholdings on retirement pensions are usually between 1% and 8% in most cases. However, when the pensioner exceeds 30,000 euros in annual income, the withholding can reach up to close to 15% of IRPF. This circumstance affects a reduced percentage of recipients, mainly in urban areas with higher pensions.
Exemption in cases of low income
In the event that the pension does not exceed the limits established by regulations, it may be exempt from paying tax on this income in the Spanish State. Most pensioners who only receive a public pension and do not reach 22,000 euros annually are not obliged to declare, which reduces the administrative burden for this group in neighborhoods such as Sant Andreu, Eixample or municipalities in Gironès.