The acting Ombudsman, Francisco Fernández Marugán, has celebrated the announcement of the Government of reducing the VAT of masks a 4% from the current 21%. According to him, the tax rate applied to hydroalcoholic gel should also be reduced, as they are also a first-necessity product in the battle against COVID-19.
In July, the Institution asked the Government a normative modification to apply the lowest VAT type as possible, even of 0%, as long as they are mandatory for the population. The Ombudsman also recommended to lowing the tax of hydroalcoholic gels, as long as their use is still recommended.
In the opinion of the Institution, both products have become first-necessity goods as a consequence of the pandemic, as they are indispensable to contain and control the coronavirus disease, to preserve the medical system, and protect public health.
Because of that, and since the purchase of these kinds of products entails additional spending for domestic economies, already affected by the economic and social consequences brought by the pandemic, the Ombudsman perceived the general type of 21% was excessive, and likewise, he transmitted it to the Secretary of State of Treasury.
