Gone with the crisis

There is no doubt that these are hard times for taxpayers, and even more for taxpayers’ already suffering tax awareness!

The Tax barometer data from the Tax Studies Institute, as well as the Public opinion and Tax policy Sociological Research Center, which are the only two sources that measure tax awareness of Spanish, for years has supported that universal health care is the main justification to pay taxes in Spain. But there were many other services and benefits that were acknowledged and used by taxpayers, available when needed.

However, things are changing: a new collective scheme and image is being developed on those public services and social benefits, which are now not so public anymore.  An example of this is the turn in health, public until now (co-payments, privatizations, the euro packages…) Cuts in public education and other “residual” services,  in the  tax awareness of many Spanish, such as social services very affected by cuts, justice, with the introduction of new judicial rates, etc…

From my viewpoint, today more than ever, our welfare state is making a 180 degree turn, it would be necessary for our political authorities to explain us the reasons for these changes, for the new “rates”, and where are we heading to. It is not correct for taxpayers to be informed by media about new royal decrees, or worse, that when they go to a drugstore or for a judicial procedure, they find out that their medicine or procedures that were considered as citizen’s rights have now become unaffordable.

Some are only concerned about efficiently collecting taxes, no matter the fairness or the consequences of these provisions; while others are more concerned to restructure our conscience as taxpayers; how much do we pay, what do we receive in return and what is now  “free” or not so much. And yet there is more concern, since the work instability and the high increase in unemployment in our country causes changes in individual and collective needs of the Spanish in relation to the State.

How do you think that all these changes will affect the taxpayer’s awareness? Would it help that politicians explain the new changes that they are implementing? Do you believe that these provisions will help to “value” the real costs of what, so far, we have received for free?

Let’s keep thinking about it…

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