Catalonia readies tax agency ahead of independence vote

The Catalan tax agency (ATC) assumed on Friday the responsibility for collecting new duties, such as succession and donation taxes. The Catalan government thus takes a step further towards handling all duties which are currently available under Catalonia’s current autonomy status, as dictated by Spanish law. This will also set the foundation for a potential tax agency of an independent state.

From now on, the ATC will act as a tax collector for all companies owned by the Catalan government, which include some 170 public firms. The ATC will continue to send funds to the Spanish tax authorities. Yet, as Spanish and Catalan governments are set to clash over the October 1 independence referendum, the €4,5 billion that is currently transferred yearly (in the form of personal income tax, VAT and social security of the public firms) that will be managed by the ATC could become a valuable asset in the hands of the Catalan government.