Rubén Candela, a Málaga tax advisor with 46 years of experience, denounces that the tax office pursues small expenses like markers while ignoring million-euro frauds. The veteran tax expert, now retired but still active, criticises the lack of criteria in the Inspection.
Rubén Candela, a Málaga tax advisor with his own office since 1978, has denounced the lack of proportionality in the actions of the tax office. In an interview marking his long career, the veteran tax expert, who was also a deputy inspector of the tax office and president of the Spanish Association of Tax Advisors, slammed an Inspection that, in his view, gets distracted by small amounts while letting large frauds slip by.
Candela, who still goes to his office every day despite being retired, explained that every year the tax office demands small amounts from him, such as 70 or 80 euros for the lack of an invoice for markers purchased at a stationery store. "It is outrageous that the tax office takes 70 euros for marker expenses and does not sniff out a 200 million fraud," lamented the expert, referring to schemes like those involving hydrocarbons.
The advisor, who served for a year and a half as a deputy inspector before requesting leave, criticised the loss of autonomy among inspectors. "In the past, you could reach an understanding; I’m not talking about shady deals, but agreements that avoided appeals and wasted time. Now the control from above is harsher, and there are inspectors who have become 'Talibanised'," he stated.
When asked about attempts to evade taxes, Candela distinguishes between the client who seeks to do things correctly and the one who asks to fix what has already been done. He recalled the case of a man who sold land in Fuengirola and wanted to avoid taxes by claiming he was moving to Chile with his Chilean wife. "You’ve got the wrong portal. Two numbers up there is a luggage shop: buy one, fill it with banknotes, and also get a rosary to pray that you don’t get caught," he replied.
Regarding current surveillance, Candela asserts that it is now more difficult to deceive the tax office. "We are more than monitored; they know everything about us," he pointed out, citing the case of Shakira and the scrutiny she faced, or the controls through credit cards and pharmacies. In his opinion, the tax office is still focusing on the wrong place, pursuing small amounts while large debts of 600,000 euros go undetected.
The veteran tax expert also shared surreal anecdotes from his career, such as the journalist client who wanted to deduct a lingerie invoice or the kiosk owner from Torremolinos who noted a "hammer blow" expense of 5,000 pesetas as personal relief. "In this profession, I’ve learned the damn attachment people have to money. I’ve seen families on the verge of fighting over half a silver cutlery set in an inheritance," he confessed.
When consulted about the use of artificial intelligence for tax declarations, Candela expressed skepticism: "Just as doctors are now seeing patients diagnosed by AI, it’s the same here: 'Look, I asked ChatGPT'. The question is whether you asked it correctly, because you might omit saying you are over 65 or that you lived in that house for two years."
Finally, if he were the Minister of Finance, Candela is clear about his first objective: "I would abolish the Inheritance Tax. I have always hated it; it has a macabre component." The advisor, who was a member of the Council for the Defence of the Taxpayer, continues to work in his office and regularly collaborates with local media.
You may also like
