The Church has more than doubled the money it collects through tax returns in 26 years. “Thank you. “We continue” concluded the president of the Episcopal Conference (CEE), Luis Argüello, his letter of introduction to the Activities Report 2023 of the Spanish Church. The report is a commitment of the EEC when in 2007, it signed with the Government chaired by José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero the increase in the percentage that would be paid via personal income tax, going from 0.52% to 0.7%. A solid business in light of the figures presented in 2024 that show a record collection of 382 million, more than double that of the previous model (in 2007 the amount reached 149 million).
With that figure in hand (which, despite the increase, shows how the percentage of declarations has decreased, and does not provide future solutions to the fact that young people do not check the box), the EEC has stuck out its chest and announced that, only in Educational matters, the Church “generates an estimated saving of 4,604 million euros to the State”, 9% more than the previous year. It is the same mantra every year, which assumes that the Church saves the State for a subsidiary activity, without confronting the benefits it obtains (economic and in doctrinal matters) from educational concerts. And without taking into account other reports, such as that of Secular Europe, which indicate that the State finances the Catholic Church with more than 11,000 million euros.
Despite this, the Spanish Church defines itself, in a report endorsed by Price Waterhouse Cooper, as “a key actor in the social sphere”, which in 2023 served 3.8 million people in more than 8,800 charitable centers, including the activity of Cáritas, Manos Unidas, centers for victims of violence, assistance to migrants or nursing homes. Also in the cultural field where, they maintain, their temples (but also Holy Week, pilgrimages and patron saint festivals) have a total impact on Spain’s GDP of 22,620 million euros.
Impact on GDP
As a novelty, the CEE presented another report, prepared by Deloitte, according to which, over the course of a year, the dioceses, parishes and the Episcopal Conference itself generate a direct impact of 2,375 million euros of GDP. What’s more, the document ensures that for every euro spent by the Church, 1.65 euros are generated in the Spanish economy. The bishops also emphasize that their work contributes to creating more than 52,000 direct jobs and another 34,000 indirect jobs.
Not everything is income. The Report also justifies an expenditure of 1,428 million euros (four times more than what was collected via personal income tax) in its parishes and training centers. In fact, a good part of the income from the Revenue goes to the “tax contribution” of bishops, priests and religious, which total 290 million euros. The priests, according to the CEE count, endorsed by the consulting firm, dedicated more than 27 million hours to spiritually accompanying the faithful, especially in the 11,437 rural parishes, despite the progressive decline in sacramental practice, which the report also confirms. .
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