Arcadi España downplays the resignation of the director of the Tax Agency

The Minister of Finance, Arcadi España, has assured that Soledad Fernández's departure from the AEAT is within the norm and that she herself requested to be replaced after several years in the role.

The Minister of Finance, Arcadi España, has sought to dispel any hint of a crisis following Soledad Fernández's resignation as Director General of the Tax Agency (AEAT). In the press conference following the Fiscal and Financial Policy Council, the minister was emphatic: “I see nothing but normality in this.”

According to España, Fernández communicated her intention to leave the position when he took office at the end of March. “She expressed to me that she wanted us to relieve her after several years in the post,” he detailed. The minister then asked her to remain until after the Income Campaign, which the director complied with.

The transition will be formalised this Tuesday

This Tuesday, the Council of Ministers will approve the appointment of the new director of the AEAT, as announced by Arcadi España himself. The transition occurs after Fernández had been at the helm of the agency for several years, a period that the minister has described as “absolute normality” also concerning other changes in the agency's leadership.

España has reminded that other members of the agency's management who could leave their positions “had already opted for new destinations,” in an attempt to downplay the drama of the departures. For the minister, all of this is part of the natural cycle of any organisation.

Internal tension in the AEAT over tax concessions

Despite the minister's statements, Soledad Fernández's resignation has uncovered an internal war within the AEAT. Inspectors and tax technicians have expressed their scepticism towards the official explanations, particularly due to the discontent generated by the tax concessions to Catalonia. The director's departure has heightened tensions in a key agency for revenue collection.

For taxpayers, these movements at the top of the Tax Agency will not result in immediate changes in their relationship with the tax office. The Income Campaign has already concluded, and the new director will have to take on the challenge of managing an agency in the midst of internal turmoil. The appointment will be announced this Tuesday after the Council of Ministers.