Although it does not have all the data because the State does not provide them, yesterday the Generalitat wanted to put a fiscal deficit figure for 2021. It is 21,982 million euros, the equivalent of 9.6% of GDP . Although in absolute value it is the highest figure in the series, it is not so much as a percentage of GDP.
The fiscal deficit is the difference between what Catalan taxpayers bring into the State via taxes or contributions and the benefits they receive via investments, benefits or spending. In 2021, Catalonia contributed the equivalent of 19.2% of all community income, but the State’s expenditure in Catalonia was 13.6% of that incurred in all of Spain. The gap is this deficit of almost 22,000 million. Masno wanted to specify what amount would be sufficient to compensate Catalonia. If the community received everything it contributes, there would be no resources left for the less developed communities to get out of the tailgate.
“Catalonia requires a bilateral agreement that leads to an improvement of the financing system”, reflected the minister. The Generalitat’s calculations on what it would mean for Catalonia to have a bilateral model like the Basque quota show that it would get an additional 22,400 million. It is an amount higher than the fiscal deficit.
The data made public yesterday is an estimate, since the Ministry of Finance led by María Jesús Montero has not detailed the figures since 2018. But he wanted to make the estimate so that the figure remains present in the debate.
The publication of the data coincides with the negotiations that the Catalan parties continue to carry out with Pedro Sánchez to facilitate his investiture as president. On this issue, Mas did not want to make statements.
In relation to the fiscal policy followed by the Generalitat after several communities have lowered taxes, Mas acknowledged that “although Catalonia is in the high sections of fiscal pressure throughout the territory, we are not in the highest sections in any figure” . Regarding inheritance tax, he assured that 85% of taxpayers pay less than 1,000 euros. There are already eleven communities where the tax burden on inheritance is zero or very low in the case of parents to children.
