Spain's income tax: more taxpayers are dropping the Church box

Farewell to the Church box on Spain's income tax: why more and more taxpayers are erasing it

The gesture is small: a cross in a box. But its economic and symbolic weight keeps growing. Every year, around nine million filers choose to allocate part of their income tax (IRPF) to the Catholic Church, according to figures circulating in tax circles. Yet a growing number of taxpayers are stopping doing so. The reasons range from frustration with the official narrative to suspicion that the money does not end up where it should.

The tax allocation scheme, which allows 0.7% of income tax to go to the Church or to other social purposes, sparks a silent but intense debate. Those who erase it argue that they would rather the whole percentage go to general social spending, or nowhere at all, out of distrust of the system. Some are calling for a third box to fund research in science, medicine and technology, a demand that resurfaces every tax season.

The harshest criticism points out that the Church uses its network of NGOs to channel funds, and that there is total opacity about where the money finally ends up. Others claim outright that the money is lost on handouts or on propaganda such as that of 13TV, which pressures people into ticking the box. The irony is that the more pressure, the more resistance it generates.

The striking figure: despite growing scepticism, nine million people still tick the X. The question is whether that number will hold up over the coming years, or whether erasing the box will become an unstoppable trend.

Related debates in the forum

• Which IRPF box did you choose? · 10 replies