DistantNews
Support us
🇪🇸 Spain /Culture & Society

Spanish Church collects record tax income despite falling taxpayer support

From El País · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Context piece
  • The Catholic Church in Spain is receiving record income from income tax donations despite a significant drop in the number of taxpayers marking the relevant box.
  • While the percentage of taxpayers allocating 0.7% of their tax liability to the Church has fallen from 21.7% in 2007 to 10.1% in 2024, the total amount collected has increased.
  • This rise is attributed to the increasing average income of those who do mark the box, meaning the 0.7% contribution yields more revenue each year.

The Catholic Church in Spain is experiencing a financial paradox, collecting record income from income tax donations even as the number of individuals opting to allocate funds to it through their tax returns plummets. Data from the Spanish Tax Agency reveals a stark contrast: the proportion of taxpayers marking the Church's box on their income tax forms has more than halved, dropping from 21.7% in 2007 to just 10.1% in 2024.

Despite this decline in support, the Church's revenue from this specific channel has reached unprecedented levels. In 2007, the Church received 143 million euros from this source, a figure that climbed to 149 million euros in the latest reporting year. The primary driver behind this increase is the rising average income of those who continue to mark the box. As these individuals earn more, the fixed 0.7% allocation translates into larger monetary contributions annually.

The Church today has “practically a million more declarations” than in 2007, going from 6.5 to 7.5 million assignments. Therefore, it would not be correct to speak of a decrease in the number of supporters for the Church.

— Fernando Giménez BarriocanalThe spokesperson for the Spanish Episcopal Conference presented the Church's interpretation of the tax allocation data.

Church officials, like spokesperson Fernando Giménez Barriocanal, present a narrative of growth, emphasizing an increase in the absolute number of allocations from 6.5 million to 7.5 million since 2007. However, this perspective overlooks the significant expansion of the taxpayer base. Spain has seen its total number of taxpayers grow from 18.7 million in 2007 to over 24.5 million in 2024. This means that while the raw number of donations may be rising due to population and economic growth, the Church's relative influence and ability to capture taxpayer support appear to be diminishing.

Furthermore, the Spanish Episcopal Conference includes taxpayers who select a "mixed" option, which splits their contribution between the Church and social causes. When these mixed allocations are factored in, the total amount received rises to 401 million euros, with a reported 30.6% of taxpayers supporting the Church through either direct or mixed options. The Church actively encourages this dual allocation, but critics argue this broader metric still masks a decline in singular, dedicated support.

We encourage taxpayers to mark both boxes.

— Fernando Giménez BarriocanalThe spokesperson explained the Church's strategy regarding mixed tax allocations.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by El País in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog