The initiative proposed the application of the super-reduced rate for, among other sectors, hotel and restaurant services.
Congress refuses to apply the super-reduced VAT of 4% to tourism
The Plenary of the Congress of Deputies rejected with the votes against the PSOE, ERC-IU-ICV and the abstention of the PNV, the taking into consideration of a proposal of law of the PP to apply the super-reduced VAT of 4 per 100 to the activities linked to tourism to face the crisis and allow the sector to "homogenize its tax burden" compared to that of the main competing countries of our environment, such as France, Portugal or Germany.
The vote on the initiative resulted in 159 votes in favour (PP and CiU) and 175 against, including those of the Socialist Group and those of ERC-IU-ICV. The initiative proposed the application of the super-reduced rate for the sectors of passenger and freight transport, hotel services, camps and spas, restaurants and, in general, to the supply of food and drinks to consume on the spot, even by prior order. During the defense of the proposal, the deputy of the PP and spokesman of the party in tourism matters, María Salom opted for a selective reduction of taxes, especially for tourism, as other countries that compete with Spain in that sector have done. In this sense, Salom said that tourism is "the poor sister" of the Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Trade. The economic spokesman of the CiU, Josep Sánchez Llibre, wanted to recall during his speech that his formation has already defended similar measures. The representative of the PNV, Pedro Azpiazu, recalled that VAT is a European tax, so the reduction could not be applied unilaterally by Spain, although the Basque nationalists opted for abstention without making explicit their rejection of the 'popular' proposal. In response, the Socialist deputy Félix Larrosa said that the reduction of the tax burden in the tourism sector has not managed to encourage consumption in the countries in which it has been applied. In addition, insisted that, if the measure proposed by the PP were applied, the State would stop entering 2,000 million euros per year only in the field of hospitality.
News added on 02-11-2010
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