Spanish Galleries close in Protest against the 21% Tax on Art
Galleries in Spain will close their doors from February 2nd to 7th, a pressure tactic to demand a reduction in the VAT, currently at 21%, a percentage that puts them at a clear disadvantage compared to their European counterparts.
125 Galleries belonging to the Contemporary Art Consortium will close their doors. Back in 1991, they closed their galleries for the same reason, the impact of VAT on their business. More than three decades later, the problem persists. In their statement, the sector denounces the government's "paralysis and lack of response" and demands the adoption of a specific cultural VAT rate for artists and galleries, through the transposition of Council Directive (EU) 2022/542 of 5 April 2022, which would allow for reduced rates to be applied to the art market.
“We are forced to adopt these measures in the face of a situation that is seriously threatening the sustainability of the work of artists and galleries,” they emphasize. In their view, institutional inaction is having “extraordinarily detrimental” consequences for contemporary art in Spain, diminishing the competitiveness of galleries and making their work of supporting, promoting, and internationalizing artists “virtually unfeasible.”
With this closure, the sector seeks to open an urgent debate on the role of culture in the economy and demand a tax framework that does not penalize those who support the contemporary art ecosystem.