Pablo Motos and Sonsoles Ónega Apologize After False 21% VAT Claim on Books

Spanish television presenters Pablo Motos and Sonsoles Ónega incorrectly claimed on Tuesday, April 14, 2026, that the VAT on books in Spain stands at 21%, when the actual rate is a super-reduced 4%. The error occurred during an episode of El Hormiguero on the Antena 3 network, where Ónega appeared as a guest to promote her new novel, Llevará tu nombre. Both presenters not only stated the incorrect figure but built a sustained on-air debate around it, calling for the rate to be lowered and even eliminated. The clip spread rapidly across social media, drawing widespread criticism from viewers and media commentators. Ernest Urtasun, Spain's Minister of Culture, was among those who publicly corrected the error. Both Motos and Ónega issued apologies the following day on their respective programs.

A live debate built entirely on a wrong number During the interview, Pablo Motos opened the subject by stating that cinema VAT had been lowered to 10% while books remained at 21%, comparing the tax burden on books to that on a pack of Ducados cigarettes. Sonsoles Ónega agreed and amplified the claim, arguing that a campaign was needed to lower the rate and that she wanted people to buy more books and support the publishing industry. „No, we have to campaign to lower the VAT on books. It's money. It's twenty-something euros. 23 euros is a lot of money and I want people to buy many books.” — Sonsoles Ónega via El Confidencial Motos went further, saying the tax should not exist at all on books in a country that wants to promote reading. The two even joked about becoming presidents of the government to implement the change, and Motos took a swipe at Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who was traveling in China at the time. Neither presenter nor their production teams verified the figure before or during the broadcast. The social network X placed a community note on the official El Hormiguero video flagging the data as incorrect, citing official Tax Agency documentation.

Ónega flagellates herself, Motos admits team failure Sonsoles Ónega addressed the error on Wednesday, April 15, during her own afternoon program, Y ahora Sonsoles, alongside psychologist Rafael Santandreu. „Yesterday we made a mistake on El hormiguero regarding the VAT on books. It is not 21%, but 4%. An error! I am flagellating myself and I have been distressed all day.” — Sonsoles Ónega via El Confidencial She stressed that the mistake was entirely involuntary and carried no intent to mislead or target anyone. Pablo Motos opened his Wednesday edition of El Hormiguero with his own apology before welcoming that evening's guest, singer Pablo Alborán. „Sonsoles Ónega proposed to the team that we talk about the VAT on books because 21% seemed excessive to her. We said yes to her and nobody checked the data, which is an error. It turns out that the VAT on books is 4%.” — Pablo Motos via 20 minutos Motos acknowledged that while his program strives to be rigorous, on that occasion it had failed, and he offered what he called a thousand apologies to viewers. His account placed the origin of the topic with Ónega, who had suggested it to the production team, though he accepted shared responsibility for not verifying it.

Books have carried a 4% rate since 1994 The super-reduced VAT rate of 4% for printed books in Spain has been in place since a 1994 reform of the country's VAT law, Law 37/1992, replacing a previous rate of 3%. The same 4% rate was extended to digital books in 2020. Books fall into the same super-reduced bracket as basic food products and medicines, reflecting a longstanding policy of treating reading materials as essential cultural goods rather than standard consumer products. The correct rate is codified in article 91 of Law 37/1992 on VAT and is listed explicitly in the Tax Agency's official table of rates. According to a 2024 report by the Federation of Publishers Guilds of Spain, the average price of a printed book in 2024 was 14.69 euros, while the total sales turnover of the book sector reached . The same report found that 69.8% of Spain's population identified as book readers in 2025. The incident drew particular attention because it unfolded not as a passing remark but as a sustained segment of debate, with both presenters repeatedly treating the 21% figure as established fact and framing it as a political grievance against the government.

VAT on books in Spain — claimed vs. actual: Rate stated on El Hormiguero (April 14, 2026) (before: 21% (general rate), after: Incorrect — no such rate applies to books); Actual VAT rate on printed books (before: 3% (before 1994), after: 4% super-reduced rate (since 1994)); Actual VAT rate on digital books (before: Not reduced before 2020, after: 4% super-reduced rate (since 2020))

false: Pablo Motos and Sonsoles Ónega claimed on April 14, 2026 that VAT on books in Spain is 21%. The actual rate is 4%, a super-reduced rate applied to printed books since 1994 and to digital books since 2020, as set out in article 91 of Law 37/1992 and confirmed by the Tax Agency's official rate tables. (Spanish Tax Agency, Law 37/1992 on VAT)