The Senate turned into law the Income Tax reform promoted by Sergio Massa

The Senate became law the tax reform that eliminates the fourth category of Income Tax and creates the new Higher Income regime for those who receive salaries of more than 15 minimum wages.

The vote ended with 38 positive votes and 27 against.

The initiative promoted by Sergio Massa had been approved by the Chamber of Deputies two weeks ago, despite the rejection of Together for Change who denounced that it was an “electoralist” measure that, in addition, will be financed with monetary emission, which will accelerate inflation.

During the debate, the senators from Together for Change also highlighted that given that more than half of what was collected by Ganancias were co-participable funds, the elimination of Ganancias will have a strong impact on provincial coffers.

The new schedular tax for Higher earnings It will have a non-taxable minimum of almost $2 million, with a progressive rate on the surplus ranging from 27% to 35%, which will be updated semiannually. It will include, among others, Directors, CEOs and Managers of companies and public officials from the rank of Secretary of State.

Leaders of the CGT, such as Pablo Moyano, and Sergio Palazzo, from the banks, were present in the boxes during the vote.

The senator of Evolution, Martin Lousteau, began his presentation by wondering if the elimination of Profits was an electoral measure. “The exempt minimum was adjusted three days before the PASO, and 34 days later we increased it again, always with effect for the elections. Why wasn't he done with the first decree? "He reflected.

Then, he pointed out that the State will stop collecting 0.83 percent of GDPwhich means “doubling the deficit next year.”

And he added: “And 59% are resources that come from the provinces. It impacts each province. They say it will be compensated but that is not in the project.”

“This measure is tremendously regressive because it will be paid for with inflation, which affects those at the bottom most. If we are going to lower taxes, let's say what expenses we are going to lower," he summarized.

When opening the debate, the president of the Budget and Finance Committee, Ricardo Guerraassured that "the modifications proposed in the bill are based on a concept of not considering salary as a profit but as what it is, a remuneration for work, and in the case of retirements, a retirement asset."

“To comply with this premise, it is established that gross salaries that do not exceed 15 minimum wages are not subject to income tax, and on the contrary, those who earn above this figure will pay a difference between what they receive and the minimum. not taxable,” added the official legislator.

He said that on the other hand, those who hold positions of “secretaries of state, as well as legislators, directors, trustees and those who hold executive positions in public companies” will continue to pay the tax as they have done until now.

The treatment of the project that eliminates the fourth category of the Income Taxwhich already has half a sanction from the Chamber of Deputies.

The document for the former Criminal Cassation judge, Ana Maria Figueroacan continue in his position after having turned 75 years old, was approved today with 36 positive votes from the ruling party and its allies.

The vote ended in a tie35 to 35, and the president of the body, Claudia Ledesma Abdala, finished defining the situation in favor of the ruling party.

Of the usual allies of the ruling party, they demonstrated against Carlos Espínola Alberto Weretilneck. Magdalena Solari Quintana He was absent at the time of the vote.

From the ruling party, the Kirchnerist senator Juliana Di Tullio He charged in harsh terms against the Together for Change bench for having “surrendered” to the Judiciary and having “handed over” a constitutional prerogative.

“He is a person who has turned 75 years old. The Constitution gives us the prerogative to approve or not (its extension). Nothing in this article indicates that when you turn 75 you turn into a pumpkin. I'm 51 until I'm 52″, he exemplified.

In political terms, he highlighted that the Hotesur-Los Sauces and Memorandum with Iran cases have already been brought to trial. “If that was the excuse for not voting for it, what are they going to say now. The two cases have already been brought to trial. "What's the excuse?" Di Tullio said.

And he attacked the Supreme Court again: “These two magistrates who agreed to enter by decree (Carlos Rosenkrantz and Horacio Rosatti) now have the nerve to tell Figueroa that he has to retire. You surrender to the Judiciary, you have surrendered to the Judiciary. How can it be that they do not defend their own constitutional prerogative?”

The opposition requested a point of order to vote separately the list of former judge Ana María Figueroa of the rest of the judges. The motion took the ruling party by surprise, which lost the vote since several senators were not in their seats.

“They are going to challenge them because they lost a vote for not being seated in their seats.", ironically the senator minutes later Carolina Losada.

The senator Guadalupe Tagliaferrifrom Together for Change, regretted that the ruling party has reached such an “absurd” point of failing to comply with the rulings of the Supreme Court.

“They did it with the co-participation from CABA and now again with the ruling against former judge Figueroa. But I remind you that the Supreme Court is the ultimate interpreter of our National Constitution, whether (Kirchnerists) like it or not,” he stated.

The official senator Anabel Fernandez Sagasti He highlighted that all the documents under analysis “have continued with the entire constitutional process” and noted that “the coverage of these vacancies will guarantee better access to Justice.”

Regarding former judge Figueroa, the senator from Mendoza remarked that “she followed the regulatory procedure.”

“There was no single opposition to his application or his background.. The agreement commission did not receive a single observation,” he said.

In reference to the decision of the Supreme Courtwhich determined that Figueroa stopped being a judge when she turned 75 because the process for her to continue in office was not complete, Fernández Sagasti denounced that The highest court “meddled” in prerogatives that are exclusive to the Senate.

“This is not the first time that a ruling has been approved after the applicant has turned 75 years of age. “It has happened during this period and during the period of Mauricio Macri's government,” she argued.