<![CDATA[Ara Balears in English - Taxes]]> 10 <![CDATA[Dining rooms]]> It would not be wrong to say that, in principle, the initiative is worthy of praise… That a web portal wants to inform us about how public money is spent is just another step towards democratic transparency, the one that pushes us not to hide anything about matters that concern us all. We pay taxes so that these satisfy collective needs, but in what way money goes to certain things and not to others is debatable, that is, pure politics. A gentleman may consider that museums are full of irrelevancies, and that money should all go to healthcare and education, and not to things as ethereal as art, be it in a museum or a theatre. It is debatable, but collectively we have decided that public money should also go to things like these: paying musicians at local festivals, the 'capgrossos' (big heads), the 'colles castelleres' (human tower groups), popular culture, and not just the aid received by industry or subsidies to agriculture. Not to mention military spending. Judging who should receive public money, and who should not, is not so simple. Designing a fair tax system is the work of specialists —it is extremely complicated—, not a bar or social media debate. The citizen without much political training or knowledge may feel compelled to be outraged just because they see that they pay taxes, or don't make ends meet, and then a man receives half a million euros for making a film that, moreover, is bad or hardly anyone ends up watching it. Or that the minister in charge goes to see the Oscars live and in person in Los Angeles at the public expense. To the website that seeks to scrutinize all this in the Catalan sphere, they have christened it 'menjòmetre', meaning that there are 'feeders' to which too many people are clinging. The disposition with which these things are to be evaluated is already a form of politics, of course; and above all, it must be known that the objective is not so much to rethink where the money goes as to mock and put—famous—heads on the block. As if discovering that a writer, for example, takes thousands of euros in contracts with the media, or at reading clubs, or in grants for creation, would somehow discredit them. Public media also cost us a whole lot of money, but it's good that they exist (but if you want to rethink their size or expenditure, they already consider you 'right-wing'). Without them, the search for objectivity would be even more complicated, but they also shouldn't be afraid to be transparent with themselves. Very often these figures are published for demagogic purposes, to make the electorate feel that we are governed by manipulators, cronies, and engineers of trickery, but it is not explained that behind these contracts and subsidies there are also families, salaries, jobs, and money that do not disappear into a void, but rather are later transformed into consumption in the economy of all. It seems that money that does not go directly into our pockets is always wasted.   

]]> <![CDATA[Now, place names]]> Every time Marga Prohens's highly ineffective government needs to pass something, it has to pay the corresponding political price demanded by its partners, or rather, its owners, in Vox (by the way, the writers Biel Mesquida, Carles Rebassa, and Josep Ramon Cerdà have already congratulated the president? In less than a week, Jordi and the Àngel Guimerà Prize for dramatic writing have won three prestigious awards in our literature, which is clearly Catalan literature). This time, the PP intends to pass a package of tax measures with reductions (of course, the right always cuts taxes in exchange for dismantling public services) to encourage, in their view, home purchases. In return, Vox is demanding the "recovery" (a recovery that stems directly from the Franco regime) of Balearic place names in Spanish. The PP bows its head, as always, and acquiesces to Vox's demands. Writing the place names of the Balearic Islands in Castilian Spanish is not only an aberration from a philological point of view: it is a humiliation, a sign of... right of conquest This is how Vox people think they should treat the people of Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza, and Formentera. Just like the Catalans, by the way, and the Valencians. If anyone understands the existence of the Catalan Countries, it's the Spanish ultranationalists. To destroy them, naturally.

]]> <![CDATA[The Government ends the outsourcing of tax collection and reforms the Tax Agency]]>

The Balearic Government is taking advantage of the amendments to the decree-law on strategic projects to carry out a profound reform of the Balearic Islands Tax Agency (ATIB), with the aim of regaining direct control over its management, especially in tax collection, which for years has been partially in the hands of a company owned by Gabriel Alzamora. The service provider has retired, and this situation has forced a series of reassessments that the Government is addressing with a structural change to the ATIB. The argument that motivated the partial outsourcing of the service was to increase the efficiency of tax collection, an objective that all governments have defended in the face of criticism of the model. Since the beginning of the 2010s, this partially outsourced management has been the subject of political and social controversy. Some sectors believed the winning company was reaping significant profits, while citizens and institutions identified shortcomings in efficiency, coordination, and transparency in tax collection, particularly in enforcement proceedings and appeals. The situation has changed, and the Executive has been preparing this operation for months. With the amendments presented by the Popular Party's parliamentary group, the Government proposes to directly manage the collection of taxes and other revenues for the Autonomous Community, the Health Service, and other dependent public entities and bodies, eliminating reliance on external managers and ensuring that management is entirely public. New organization

The reform also establishes a clearer and more functional organization for the ATIB, with departments and areas organized by subject matter, as well as central services and island delegations in Menorca, Ibiza, and Formentera to improve coordination, streamline processes, and allow each office to work efficiently within its territory. The collection area now assumes the functions related to the voluntary and enforced collection of regional and state taxes, the administrative review resulting from these actions, the management of taxes from other administrations delegated to the Balearic Islands, and the monitoring of insolvency proceedings affecting credits managed by the ATIB; all of this is coordinated with the regional legal department and under the supervision of the ATIB director. The amendment also allows the ATIB to accept powers delegated by municipalities and other local entities regarding the collection, assessment, inspection, and management of taxes and revenues through agreements.

]]> <![CDATA[The CCOO union will call for limiting energy prices due to the war in Iran and rejects tax cuts.]]>

The general secretary of the CCOO union, Unai Sordo, expressed his opposition to a "general" tax cut due to the war in Iran and the Middle East, but stated that he will demand limits on energy prices or measures to protect employment and economic activity, if necessary. The union leader indicated that this will be the position CCOO will defend at the meeting it will hold this Thursday with representatives of the Spanish government and other unions to assess possible actions regarding the effects of the conflict.

]]> <![CDATA[Living on a mitre]]> A few years ago I read an article by New York Times in which one of the most common mistakes in relationships was analyzed: combating emotional distress rationally. The article emphasized the obvious error: emotions don't listen to reason, even if their causes may be real, and trying to soothe certain anxieties with meticulous arguments is as absurd as saying "but I love you" when you're doing the math to see if you can afford a second mortgage.

]]> <![CDATA[Municipal taxes on the rise: each Menorcan will now pay 937 euros per year]]>

Each resident of Menorca will pay an average of €937 in taxes and fees to their local council this year. This figure is growing year after year, driven by the increase in public services and the need for local government to increase current revenue to cover the expenses of running the municipal machinery. The largest expense is personnel costs. Up to €603 of each taxpayer's contribution, almost two-thirds of the total, will go towards paying the salaries of the more than one thousand civil servants and public employees who work in local government in Menorca. Personnel costs, which until a few years ago rarely exceeded 30% of the municipal budget, are now approaching 40% in many cases. The growing needs of the population, especially in home care and social services, and, above all, the mandatory regulation of positions within the administration, explain this increase. At least three of the island's eight municipalities—Ciutadella, Es Mercadal, and Alaior—are beginning to implement this year the Job Classification System (RPT), negotiated over a decade ago with union representatives to accurately reflect the functions each employee performs. This "getting our house in order," as Ciutadella Mayor Llorenç Ferrer puts it, will entail an extraordinary expenditure of €2.7 million for the municipality starting in 2027. This, combined with the professional development component of the RPT, must be permanently incorporated into the municipal budget. "During 2026, we must work to secure new or increased sources of current revenue to sustain these commitments," the mayor added. In 2027, the manure ordinance will be increased, and other "outdated" fees will be revised upwards. Increased revenue from building permits is also expected. This is in addition to the measures already implemented this year, with increases in sewage, slaughterhouse, and towing fees, as well as the motor vehicle tax. Another half a million euros will be collected in property tax (IBI), and the recent transfer of tax management to the Balearic Islands Tax Agency (ATIB) is expected to boost revenue from traffic fines, including the installation of mobile speed cameras to catch more drivers committing infractions. Even so, per capita spending on personnel in Ciutadella will still be the lowest of the island's eight municipalities this year, at 519 euros per inhabitant. The City Council will allocate nearly 17 million euros, just a portion of the almost 31 million euros it expects to collect in taxes and fees. Spending in this area will indeed be above the Menorca average, as each resident will pay €947 in municipal taxes. The other two municipalities that will also implement the Employment Position List will likewise require their residents to pay more taxes. Es Mercadal, which allocates €4.1 million of its €13.2 million budget to personnel, expects to collect €8.5 million in taxes, an average of €1,315 per inhabitant. Apuesta has increased its personnel budget by 18.7%. Alaior, which has almost double the population of Es Mercadal, has also increased its budget, but will collect only slightly more in fees and taxes, €8.7 million, at a rate of €848 per citizen.

]]> <![CDATA[ATIB expands payment options and allows taxes to be paid via POS terminal]]>

The Balearic Islands Tax Agency (ATIB) has expanded its payment options and now allows the payment of regional and local taxes via point-of-sale (POS) terminals, as reported by the Ministry of Economy, Finance, and Innovation. This new method allows taxpayers to make secure payments through an electronic system similar to the card readers used in stores, but integrated into the online tax filing system. The Ministry emphasizes that this measure represents another step towards a more efficient and accessible administration. POS terminal payments are in addition to the methods already available at ATIB, such as online payments via Bizum, bank transfers—including transactions from banks without agreements with the Balearic Islands or from foreign banks—and online payments via electronic banking or card. With this addition, the need to travel to a bank to make a payment and then return to ATIB with proof of payment is eliminated, as the entire process can be completed quickly and securely through digital channels. This initiative aligns with the Government's objective of facilitating citizens' interactions with the Administration, reducing bureaucracy, and optimizing taxpayers' time. Furthermore, it complements other measures implemented by ATIB, such as flexible tax payments, which allows taxpayers to choose the amount and payment time according to their individual needs.

]]> <![CDATA[Mobo, when talent grows culture]]> The first takeaway from the organization's announcement that Mobo is ending is that nothing lasts forever. Especially not if it's good. The festival, which a group of young people decided to launch in 2017, had achieved an extraordinary level of success and was a benchmark for quality music. It wasn't just one of those events held to assert ourselves and say that local things, in this case music, are doing well. It was doing well. And it was doing well because Mobofest was able to believe in the music produced in the Canary Islands, which, as it turns out, is of exceptional quality today. But someone had to do it and program it. In a place where a mix of provincialism and self-loathing often leads us to undervalue local initiatives, music, productions, and everything local, Mobofest has demonstrated over the years that the island scene is brimming with talent.

]]> <![CDATA[Nearly 1,700 vehicles over 25 years old will once again pay road tax in Porreres.]]>

Vehicles in Porreres that are over 25 years old, an estimated 1,700, but do not have the status of historic vehicle, according to the DGT, will begin to pay road tax starting in 2026, a burden they have been exempt from until now.

]]> <![CDATA[Manacor's new tax ordinance will require double property tax at the Nadal Academy.]]>

The academy owned by former international tennis player Rafael Nadal in Manacor will be the main target of the increase in the Property Tax (IBI) approved by the Manacor City Council on Monday, which increases the value payable on properties for private sports use from 0.628% to 1.16%.

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