Madrid expands its advantage over Catalonia in the number of registered vehicles and, therefore, in collection from the special tax, which is transferred to the autonomous communities. Four out of every ten cars registered in 2023 were located in the capital of Spain, a total of 391,000; while only 12.9% enrolled in Catalonia, totaling 127,000. The difference is triple.
This circumstance causes Madrid to collect three times more than Catalonia from the registration tax, 288 million compared to 103 million. The differential has widened in recent years, since the year before the pandemic, 2019, the difference in income was less than double: the Community of Madrid collected 209 million and Catalonia received 108 million.
The reason why Madrid stands out in registrations and tax revenues is the concentration of companies in its territory. Sources from the Anfac manufacturers' association and the Faconauto sellers' association explain that the vehicles purchased by companies for their fleets or those registered by rent-a-car and leasing groups are overall superior to those registered by individuals. There are leasing companies such as Avis, Europcar or Sixt whose address in Spain is in Madrid, as well as leasing groups such as ALD Automotive, Alphabet, Lease Plan or those linked to BBVA or Santander. Catalonia, on the other hand, does exert a significant counterweight in leasing, but not in the rest of the business categories.
Last year was the year with the highest registration tax collection during the historical series. The Tax Agency, according to its annual balance sheet, recorded income of 724 million, 11.5% more than in 2022. The tax base was 22.6 billion. However, fewer cars were registered than before the pandemic. If in 2019 1.3 million vehicles were registered, in 2023 there were 985,000 registrations.
The reason why collection reached maximum levels despite a lower number of registrations is the increase in prices. The average cost of a registered vehicle reached 23,666 euros last year, above the 21,432 euros in 2022 and shattering the pre-covid average of 17,588 euros. The average CO2 emissions of registered cars have also been reduced to historic lows, reaching 113 g/km at the end of the last year.
The statistics offered by the Treasury also highlight the significant increase in registrations of luxury vehicles, considered as such those with a value greater than 60,000 euros. In 2023, almost 20,000 units were registered compared to 13,000 last year. For their part, cheap cars, below 15,000 euros, fell in the tax registry to 244,000 operations.
