Reduction of IVA does not stop significant price increases in Spanish supermarkets

The reduction of the IVA (VAT) on certain basic foodstuffs, in the fight against inflation, has not prevented prices from rising significantly. This is evident from a study by consumer association FACUA. It requires the Ministry of Consumer Affairs to open an investigation that will result in fines for companies that inflate their profit margins. This is prohibited for foods with a lower IVA. FACUA analyzed the prices of 30 categories of food products from different brands in similar formats in January 2023. These are products for which the discount had already been applied. The same research also took place in January 2024, at eight major supermarket chains.