The Treasury estimates that the maternity tax refund will be €1,600, while the average refund for paternity leave is €383. The PSOE (Spanish Socialist Workers' Party) in Cieza welcomes the swift implementation of a court ruling that combats workplace inequality and increases the options for starting or expanding families.
Yesterday, the Minister of Finance approved the regulations for refunds to all parents who received the benefit in 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017. Those who received it in previous years are not entitled to any compensation, as those years are now beyond the statute of limitations for tax purposes.
Those affected will only need to provide their full name, the year they received the benefit, and their bank account number. Taxpayers must submit their claim through the various online channels of the Tax Agency: the RENO system, the PIN system, or via electronic certificate. "It will be a streamlined system that will not require any additional documents," the Socialists emphasize.
Taxpayers who received the benefit in 2014 or 2015 can apply starting yesterday afternoon. The rest will have to wait until January. This is because the process will be carried out in two phases to simplify it and allow for faster processing of applications. On the other hand, the Supreme Court ruling states that maternity benefits should not be taxed for civil servants, but public employees do not receive any benefit during their paternity or maternity leave; they continue to receive their salary. However, the Government considers it "unfair" not to extend this tax benefit to civil servants, so the Treasury will propose a legislative change so that civil servants can benefit from this income tax exemption during maternity and paternity leave.
The Socialist Party of Cieza affirms that active policies to increase and promote the birth rate must be directed toward this goal, among others. Residents of Cieza who have started a family will be able to access the benefits to which they are entitled as parents. The Socialists conclude by reaffirming that “Motherhood and fatherhood can lead to processes of inequality in the workplace and within families; therefore, we welcome the ruling, which must be accompanied by measures such as free education for children aged 0 to 3, a measure already being discussed in the Regional Assembly by the PSRM (Socialist Party of the Region of Murcia).”