The Treasury maintains that those affected by ERTE will pay personal income tax based on their income

 Workers in ERTE have two payers, the company in which they work and the SEPE

The Minister of Finance, María Jesús Montero, stated this Thursday that "everyone is going to pay the amount that corresponds to them" in the Income Tax declaration "based on what they have earned", given the doubts of those who have been affected by a Temporary Employment Regulation File (ERTE) and have received unemployment benefits.

In an interview on TVE, the head of the Treasury stated that "the tax has not changed" and "there is nothing new" regarding the personal income tax taxation of unemployment benefits received by those affected by an ERTE. Workers in ERTE have two payers, the company in which they work and the State Public Employment Service (SEPE), in charge of paying them benefits while they are in ERTE. Hence, they are required to submit an income tax return.

Some organizations have asked the ministry that the State Public Employment Service (SEPE), in charge of paying benefits, not be considered an additional payer and thus avoid possible harm to those affected by an ERTE.

Montero has indicated that the fact that they have to submit an income tax return does not imply that they will pay the Treasury more than the previous year. «They will pay based on what they have collected. What you have to see is the net income they have received and the withholdings they have had," he explained.

«When there are two payers, since one of the companies does not know what the other is paying and the appropriate withholdings cannot be made, the declaration has to be submitted, but that does not imply that they will pay more. Everyone is going to pay the amount that corresponds to them based on what they have entered, it does not matter if there are two or three payers. If they are below the limit to avoid having to declare, they will not have to declare, if they are above the limit as has been happening, they will have to declare," he insisted.

Currently, those who have more than one payer have the obligation to declare personal income tax if they earn more than 14,000 euros per year.

At the end of February, there were almost 900,000 workers in ERTE, according to figures from the Ministry of Inclusion and Social Security, a good part of them belonging to the hospitality and tourism sectors.