No one can deny that there is absolute unanimity against this new tax, which aims to punish people who choose to visit the Community of Valencia, thereby penalizing hotel activities and regulated tourist stays. No one in the industry, no one in the Valencian business fabric and the majority of the political class, including a large part of the PSPV, is in favor of this measure, which is distinctly sectarian in nature and has the slightest legal, economic and shortcomings. . financial rigor.
Last Thursday, the Cortes approved the beginning of parliamentary processing of a law called the Financial Measures Act to promote Sustainable Tourism. As if a new tax was needed to promote sustainability….
This parliamentary act was initiated without any economic or legal report supporting the creation of this tax. In addition, they will avoid the mandatory disclosures of both the Legal Advisory Council and the Economic and Social Council, as it is the initiative of the parliamentary groups.
In other words, we will create a new tax with the argument “Let the Valencians pay tax when we go to Rome and Paris”. An overwhelming argument of robustness and clear necessity (note the sarcasm in my comment).
All these transactions are full of lies: In the text that started to be processed, it is not about the municipality and voluntary tax. This is a regional tax that will be charged in all municipalities and all tourist accommodation and cruise companies. Also, as an additional penalty, the municipality may double its amount, as a surcharge is foreseen.
In addition, those who hate tourism want to spread the general belief that “tourists don’t pay taxes”. In 2022, it is expected that around 4,000 million euros in taxes related to tourism activity will be collected in the Community of Valencia, neither more nor less, ie 15.3% of the total taxes collected in the Community.
The industry is deeply concerned about the image bill that this bad political decision could collect. And even on selected dates, they’ve behaved inappropriately: They approve the start of parliamentary procedure at the gates of the high season, so bad publicity can condition target choice. Because the supporters of this bad decision do not realize that, in a nutshell, the Community of Valencia is not Rome, Paris, Barcelona or the Balearic Islands. Because the tourists of the Valencian Community belong to the large Spanish and European middle class, who definitely make the holiday a right and priority.
The harsh reality in the autonomous communities that already impose a similar figure in Spain is devastating: they are taxes used for general spending, reducing deficits or other items completely unrelated to tourist activities. They were told the same story they told us today, and we already know how it ended (story).
Considering that only 44% of tourists and 23% of overnight stays in the Valencian Community are made in accommodation that will pay this tax, it is clear that the proposed law does not want to ensure tourism as a phenomenon. the sole purpose is to severely penalize a particular business model, precisely the one that creates the most value, contributes the most, and sustains and creates the most employment. And the one who suffered the most after being inactive for two years due to the pandemic.
This week we learned that a Spanish family is 3,500 euros poorer a year because of the simple effect of runaway inflation that swept over us like a tsunami. Except for families who choose the Community of Valencia for their holidays, they will be even poorer thanks to this new tax.
While we discount fuel so that they can come, we reduce public transportation or make it free; on the other hand, we want to stick them out and take out of their pockets some of what they would spend on consuming, buying, or enjoying everything we have to offer them.
And worst of all, in the system they intend to impose, the collector will be the receptionist of hotels or lodgings, having to stand up for a political class that cannot keep up with it. .
There are days when I wake up and it seems to me that I live upside down in the world.