Sonsoles Ónega and Susana Díaz blast government over tax debtor list heavy with celebrities and hydrocarbon fraud

Publication and figures

Spain's tax agency (Hacienda) released its 13th annual list of large debtors on June 30, 2026. The list includes 5,853 taxpayers (individuals and legal entities) with outstanding tax debts exceeding €600,000 as of December 31, 2025. Total unpaid obligations stand at €15,432 million, a 4.4% decrease from the previous year. Of these, 1,111 are individuals owing €1,680 million collectively, while the remaining 4,742 legal entities account for €13,752 million. The number of debtors fell 2.4%, with 879 leaving the list and 735 new names added.

Notable names

Several celebrities reappear or join the list: presenter Patricia Conde owes €714,615, TV collaborator Kiko Matamoros €600,740, singer Isabel Pantoja over €1.2 million, singer and businessman Bertín Osborne €835,000, and actress Paz Vega over €1.8 million. Businessman Javier Banderas, brother of actor Antonio Banderas, owes nearly €3 million. The Olivares brothers, Ramón and Agustín, top the individual ranking with €36.8 million each, linked to failed construction ventures in Castilla-La Mancha.

Political and media backlash

The list sparked strong reactions on television. On Antena 3's Y ahora Sonsoles, host Sonsoles Ónega called the list "shameful" for merging two distinct groups. She stated:

Today the Tax Agency, which is the Government, publishes a shameful list they call the 'tax debtor list'.

She added that "there are people who effectively can't be bothered to pay the tax agency, and others who are in judicial processes" and urged Hacienda to remove those with lawsuits. Ónega also demanded a public register of convicted sex offenders: "Since 2018, when I started hosting TV shows, I have been asking for the list of convicted rapists and abusers."

Meanwhile, on Espejo Público, former Andalusian president Susana Díaz commented:

It surprises me that they owe the public treasury, which belongs to all of us, and yet they receive money from all our taxes in some public media.

She declined to name the individuals, saying "more than one, but I'll leave it there."

Hydrocarbon fraud network dominates

A significant shift this year is the dominance of companies linked to the hydrocarbon VAT fraud scandal. Five of the top corporate debtors are under investigation for allegedly purchasing and selling fuel without remitting VAT: Bio-Zenite Energy (€232.9 million), Metaway Combustibles (€196 million), Vertix Petroleum (€195 million), Marillion (€151 million), and Biomar Oil (€119 million). These cases intersect with the Aldama case and the Koldo scandal, which already led to a conviction of former transport minister José Luis Ábalos. The fraud involved companies buying and selling fuels and then vanishing without paying VAT, leaving massive tax holes that have yet to be settled.

Persistent business failures

The list also chronicles long-running business collapses. Real estate firm Reyal Urbis leads the corporate ranking with €266 million. The Abengoa group's various units owe a combined €109.18 million. Malaga-based developer Aifos, a victim of the 2008 crisis, owes €88 million. Xerez Club de Fútbol still owes €2.2 million after partial debt prescription reduced it from over €8 million. The Andalusian solar panel maker Isofotón, which received €44.15 million in regional grants before closing, owes €3 million. Entrepreneur Trinitario Casanova's Baraka Holding appears with €2.6 million, adding to a series of controversies including property deals and a false takeover bid.