According to the Civismo Foundation, Tax Freedom Day in Spain fell on August 20 this year. Since 2018, this date has been pushed back by 54 days
According to the Civismo Foundation, it took 231 working days for Tax Freedom Day to arrive in 2026—two more than the previous year. The study emphasizes that the growth in tax revenue is not solely due to new tax rate increases.
Since 2028, the date has shifted by 54 days
When Pedro Sánchez took office in 2018, this period was 177 days, and Tax Freedom Day was celebrated on June 27. Since then, the date has shifted 54 days later.
Among the factors increasing the tax burden are the lack of indexation of the income tax (IRPF) scale, rising social security contributions, the reinstatement of certain VAT rates, and new local taxes. As a result, a significant portion of household income goes toward paying taxes.
To assess the tax burden, the foundation analyzes the total cost of labor for the average worker. In the example selected for the calculation, an employee with an annual pre-tax salary of 32,446 euros bears a tax and contribution burden of approximately 17,666 euros.
Out of every 100 euros in salary, 58.3 euros remain
After these deductions, their net salary amounts to about 24,725 euros per year. This means that out of every 100 euros in labor costs, only 58.3 euros reach the employee as net salary.
The report also notes that employees may pay more income tax even if their salaries have barely increased. This is because tax brackets are not indexedin the same way as wages.
In addition to basic taxes, other regional and local taxes are levied, such as property tax (IBI), vehicle tax, and inheritance and gift taxes.
According to estimates by the Civismo Foundation, these payments cost the average worker approximately 4,110 euros per year, which is equivalent to more than two months of their net income.
Tax Freedom Day varies by autonomous community. Madrid, La Rioja, and the Canary Islands have already reached this date, while Catalonia and Extremadura will not reach it until August 26.
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