Lobato remarked that today, anyone earning 55,000 euros in Madrid ends up paying the same tax as someone earning 300,000. The point, he argued, is to establish intermediate departments that could advance progress, making the system more navigable for everyone. Ana Rosa quickly challenged the idea, dismissing it with a clear, decisive response.
He continued, noting that the personal income tax is structured in a way that creates a visible divide: hundreds of thousands may feel the pain of the same rate while their incomes differ dramatically. The journalist pressed him to explain, saying, I’ve been looking into this, researching it, and following the thread closely. He identified himself as a State Treasury technician and offered his perspective as someone who has spent considerable time examining the tax framework and its outcomes.
One participant from Telecinco interjected, highlighting the clash in tone: you are a government technician, and I am a skeptic. Lobato pressed on, finishing his message for the audience: in Madrid, the tax rate effectively applies uniformly from the threshold of 55,000 euros, at least in the portion of the community under discussion.
The conversation then shifted toward the broader geography of taxation. The politician insisted that there is no discrimination in the tax system within Madrid, arguing that the structure across autonomous communities reflects historical decisions rather than arbitrary choices at the local level. In his view, the notion of uniformity from a given income in the capital is a consequence of long-standing tax policy rather than a sudden reform or one-off adjustment. The debate highlighted a tension between perceived fairness and historical design, with both sides acknowledging that the conversation around tax rates and brackets influences public perception as much as it shapes actual liabilities. (Cited: Telecinco debate transcript)