Audiovisual sector warns Spanish Tax Office claim puts industry at risk

Representatives of the audiovisual sector in Catalonia warned on Friday that the industry is at risk of disappearing. If urgent measures are not taken and the Catalan broadcaster TV3 is forced to cancel projects in order to pay tax claimed by the Spanish Tax Office, it could lead to the loss of 15,000 jobs, they claim.

In a news conference, sector representatives called for a moratorium and demanded that administrators wait until a new Catalan government is in place before taking “drastic” measures. They also called on the future Catalan government to provide the broadcaster with financial support.

While they call for funds to be forwarded from the media budget, the sector representatives also called on the Tax Office, and the Spanish government and parties that support it, to review the tax demand, so as to avoid the disappearance of the industry in Catalonia.