In 2016 there is to be a plan to counter tax fraud, by which the Balearic government anticipates increasing its tax receipts by ten million euros to some fifty million that are raised in this way.
President Armengol says that annual revenue from tackling tax fraud had been between 35 and 45 million euros under the previous government and that the Partido Popular administration had reduced the capability of dealing with tax fraud by having cut personnel numbers. The new government will “relocate” civil servant posts in order to boost this revenue by the anticipated ten million euros.
The government’s commitment to confronting tax fraud came as part of the parliamentary debate into fiscal policy for 2016. Responding to questions from the Partido Popular and El Pi about tax increases, Armengol said that these will be directed at the “haves” in order to increase revenues and to benefit those who don’t have. The president reiterated the government’s aim to initiate a system of social income in 2016, to which the “haves” will contribute, while tourists will be acting in solidarity via the tourist tax.
Marga Prohens, the PP’s spokesperson, criticised the government’s intention to increase taxes, and was met by an Armengol reply which described as “terrifying” the national government’s policy of taxing the income of workers and not capital.