2023-06-13 11:01:34
Most companies recommend checking the Solidarity Company Box in the Corporate Tax to raise up to 225 million euros for social projects
By checking the Solidarity Company box, the business sector has the opportunity, at zero cost, to generate a positive impact on society and contribute to a more just, equal and sustainable social transformation
The study “The impact of companies to regenerate social welfare”, promoted by the Platform for the Third Sector highlights, among other issues, that 98% of the companies surveyed, both those that know the Box and those that do not, would recommend to other organizations join this campaign
This research confirms the great lack of knowledge that exists regarding this Box -which was born in 2018- in the business sector in Spain, revealing that only 4 out of 10 companies surveyed are aware of this option
The Solidarity Company Box is included in the Corporate Tax, which is presented from July 1 to 25, 2023, and checking it means allocating 0.7% of the proceeds to projects of social interest
The environmental challenges, the war in Ukraine and the rise in the prices of products and energy, among other factors, pose a scenario of multiple crises and uncertainty in which the existing social gaps do not stop increasing.
In this context, it is more necessary than ever to focus on caring for people and their well-being. The Third Sector Platform, which aims to improve the rights and quality of life of citizens, is committed to establishing a link with Spanish companies to take a further step in social reconstruction and jointly achieve the objectives set by the Organization of United Nations (UN) for this decade.
Thus, in 2018 the Solidarity Company Box was created in the General State Budget Law, promoted by the Third Sector Platform. It is the opportunity, at zero cost, that all companies that pay Corporate Tax have to allocate 0.7% of their taxation to finance social projects aimed at guaranteeing the rights of citizens, fighting poverty, exclusion and inequality, thus advancing towards the goal of achieving a more just, equal and inclusive society.
The Casilla Solidarity Company Study “The impact of companies to regenerate social welfare” (2023) aims to encourage this company-Third Sector union, revealing which are the social projects financed by the Casilla Solidarity Company that most concern the Spanish companies surveyed: socio-sanitary care, promotion of health and independent living and coverage of educational needs. It also highlights that “companies position themselves according to the social projects that are most aligned with their values.” At the same time, 70% of them affirm that they are aware that their contribution through the Solidarity Company Box is key to social change.
Collection: annual evolution and destination of the funds
In 2019, the first campaign in which the measure was available, the collection obtained exceeded 33 million euros, increasing, in 2020, to more than 36. In 2021, due to the effect of the crisis caused by COVID, it dropped to 31 million, reaching a figure of more than 43 million euros in the last year.
In the last year with available data, the Solidarity Company Box promoted 6,566 social projects at the regional level, benefiting 2,148 Third Sector entities. Likewise, with the funds raised, 887 projects were financed at the state level, developed by 262 entities, mainly focused on strengthening the Third Sector and volunteering, promoting social inclusion, launching projects in penitentiary institutions, protecting and reinforcing the rights of people with disabilities and the fight once morest gender violence. This 2023, according to the forecast of the Ministry of Finance for the previous year, 225 million euros would be collected if all companies checked the Solidarity Company Box in the Corporation Tax.
Solidarity Company Box: a triple impact tool
The study “The impact of companies to regenerate social well-being” aims to increase knowledge regarding the Casilla in the business environment, highlighting the opportunity that this sector has in Spain to take part in the construction of a new long-term sustainable model term, both in the economic sphere and in the social and environmental spheres.
Currently, only 14% of the companies consulted already support this initiative in the Corporate Tax, 26% know it, but not yet the brand and the majority -60%- of the companies participating in the investigation were unaware this opportunity to allocate 0.7% of their taxes to finance social projects.
Due to multiple reasons, the vast majority of small and medium-sized companies outsource the management of Corporate Tax to tax agencies and consultancies. That is why the role of these entities is also essential when checking the Box. The study indicates that more than half of the consultancies surveyed are aware of their important role in social change by informing companies of this option, since only 4 out of 10 companies know how to generate a positive impact by presenting the IS.
Solidarity Company Seal: social recognition of positive impact
Another factor that favors the decision to check or not the Solidarity Company Box is the social reputation that the Solidarity Company Seal brings to companies, a certification from the Third Sector Platform that recognizes companies that seek to generate a positive impact on society through this tool. In this sense, 70% of undecided companies consider this recognition as an additional value to improve their social positioning and reputation.
About the Third Sector Platform
The Third Sector Platform (PTS) is a state-wide organization set up to unite and broaden the voice of the Third Sector in Spain. It defends, through a united voice, the rights and social interests of the citizenry, especially of people in a situation of poverty or at risk of exclusion.
Founded in January 2012, it is made up of nine of the most representative organizations in the social sphere in Spain (the Social Action NGO Platform (POAS), the Spanish Volunteer Platform (PVE), the European Network to Fight Poverty and Social Exclusion in the Spanish State (EAPN-ES), the Spanish Committee of Representatives of Persons with Disabilities (CERMI), the Spanish Red Cross, Cáritas Española, the National Organization for the Blind of Spain (ONCE), the Coordinator of Development Cooperation Organizations, the Children’s Platform) and eleven territorial platforms and tables. Currently, it represents regarding 28,000 entities in the social field.
The Third Sector Platform is the promoter of the inclusion of the Solidarity Company Box in the Corporate Tax, present since the 2018 tax period. Companies that, when presenting the declaration of this tax, mark the Solidarity Company Box, a free gesture, With zero cost and altruistic, they allocate 0.7% of the collection to finance projects of social interest managed by the Third Sector.
The contribution of the Third Sector to the Spanish economy represents 1.44% of the national GDP and represents 3.2% of employment. More than 528,000 people work in Third Sector entities, with more than 3.3 million volunteers. According to the latest data available, Third Sector entities provide more than 47 million direct services per year.
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