Palma de Majorca.As of 20th October this year, said the National Association of Self-Employed Workers (ATA) yesterday, people with their own businesses in the Balearics have paid 48 million euros to Central Government in VAT for the previous quarter, even though the workers themselves have not been paid by their clients.
The report showed how high the payments being made by the self-employed in the Balearics are compared to other payments for the same period from the Canary Islands, 39 million euros, Asturias (33), Navarre (28) and Extremadura (23).
Findings also showed that the Islands are amongst those regions which have been sending increasingly higher figures of VAT in advance to Central Government. In the case of the Balearics, VAT payments for the quarter to 20th October were 34.5 percent higher, 4.1 million euros.
Self-employed workers in six regions of the country are meanwhile paying less in VAT to Madrid.
Lorenzo Amor, the President of the ATA said that the report shows that no one is on time with their payments and that the situation for the self-employed in the regions is critical.
He said that what would really help small businesses would be to have ready cash available instead of having to wait for tax returns. Another suggestion, Lorenzo said, was that the modular system of paying taxes should be adjusted to fit falling incomes.
In Palma, retailers and self-employed associations have complained to the City Council that they have not been included in the management of an overall business programme designed to meet the demands of the tourist community.