After holding a new work meeting with the representatives of the National Federation of Sports Facilities Entrepreneurs (FNEID), in which the Institutional Vice-Secretary and head of the list for Valencia, Esteban González Pons, the popular leader, Borja Semper, has promised before those present to study “seriously and rigorously the restitution of the VAT reduced from 10% to physical activity”.
Semper has seemed to forget that it was precisely the popular party, when Mariano Rajoy governed in 2012, that decreed the increase in VAT that was applied to gyms at that time, that is, from 8% to 21%, equaling the tax rate with that of tobacco and luxury products.
National Physical and Mental Health Plan
Thus, today Borja Sémper has affirmed today that “sport is a decisive instrument to improve physical and mental health” and has announced that “the PP will address the implementation of a National Physical and Mental Health Plan” .
“It is essential that the practice of sport be taken into account by public administrations in a serious and rigorous manner. It is essential to bet and make it easier for citizens to play sports due to the great positive effects it has on well-being and health”.
Borja Sémper has ensured that “the PP’s commitment to physical exercise and to supporting all professionals is firm and determined. It is a bet not only for the present but also for the future to create healthy habits to pass on to children and young people”.
SECTOR CLAIM FOR 11 YEARS
For his part, Adolfo Ruiz, president of FNEID, stated that “we have spent years making political groups aware of the need to adopt measures regarding physical activity.”
After that, Ruíz pointed out that “we are very satisfied with the meetings we have held with Borja Sémper and his team. From the beginning they have shown a firm commitment”.
Alfonso Ruíz has listed as arguments for the promotion of sports activity within Spanish society issues such as that “a sedentary lifestyle represents a health expense of more than 1,500 million euros, according to the Spanish Society for the Study of Obesity – SEEDO , as well as that physical activity programs reduce work absenteeism by 63%, something that translates into savings of 2,500 million euros per year”.
It should be remembered that our country is at the forefront of Europe in terms of overweight and obesity, with excess weight rates (overweight and obesity) higher than 60%, according to the European Regional Report on Obesity 2022i.
INCOMPRESSIBLE VAT
As already noted, in 2012, with the Popular Party ruling, said sports services went from 8% to 21%. Subsequently, starting in 2014, the taxation of other activities whose tax rate had also risen to 21% in 2012 began to be reviewed and reduced, such as the services of nightclubs, discos, spas, theaters, or bullfighting, but the services Sports activities provided to individuals continue with the same maximum tax rate.
The president of the Fneid, Alfonso Ruíz, concluded by emphasizing that “it is incomprehensible that the VAT on sports is at 21%. Sport is health and, on the other hand, the message to young people is that, from a tax point of view, the Government encourages access to discos or nightclubs more than to play a paddle tennis game, a swimming course or the access to a sports facility.
