The Tax Agency collected 1,654 million euros in Lleida last year, 14.9% more than in the previous year and the highest figure recorded so far in the province. The increase placed Lleida as the Catalan demarcation with the highest percentage growth in tax revenue, ahead of Girona, Barcelona and Tarragona.
Within Catalonia, Girona closed the year with an increase of 9.4%, Barcelona with 6.9% and Tarragona with 3.5%. In the whole of the State, Lleida was also the tenth province with the highest percentage increase in payments to the Tax Agency. The first place was occupied by Ciudad Real, with a rise of 29.6% and a collection of 1,056 million euros.
IRPF leads revenues in the province
The Personal Income Tax was again the main source of revenue in Lleida, with more than 762 million euros, which represents an increase of 15.4%. The Tax Agency estimates that the income of Spanish families grew by 7.2%, an advance that, along with the variation of the rate, explains the increase in this tax.
"The main cause of this increase is the dynamism of the labor market" - Ministry of Finance
Treasury links this evolution to the labor market and highlights an 8.7% increase in income from labor withholdings and economic activities.
Strong rise in VAT and more moderate advance in Corporate Tax
VAT was the second most significant tax figure in Lleida, with 529.74 million euros collected, 19.7% more than a year earlier. The Ministry of Finance relates this improvement to consumption behavior.
The Corporate Tax contributed 331.15 million euros, 6.4% more. In this section, the figure does not include all the business activity generated in the province, since part of the large companies have their registered office in other demarcations and pay taxes outside Lleida.
Excise taxes almost double their contribution
Excise taxes reached 7.18 million euros, compared to 3.71 million in the previous year. The increase was 93.6%. This block includes taxes linked to the production of alcoholic beverages, including beer.
The provincial collection was completed with 6.67 million euros for non-resident income tax and 278,000 euros for foreign traffic.
Record also in the whole of the State
In Spain, tax collection grew by 10.4% to 325 billion euros, also at historical highs. The Treasury attributes this result to economic growth, record employment figures, and the effect of inflation, which accounted for 1.3 points of the increase.
By tax figures, Personal Income Tax (IRPF) totaled 142,466 million euros, 10.1% more. VAT reached 99,532 million, with an increase of 9.9%, while Corporate Tax reached 42,266 million, 8.1% more. The Treasury linked this last increase with higher business profits, reflected in a 6% increase in installment payments. The tax on financial transactions contributed 339 million euros throughout the State.
With these data, Lleida closes the year as the Catalan province where tax collection accelerated the most, driven especially by personal income tax and VAT, in a context of higher employment, increased incomes, and good consumer sentiment.