- Projects can benefit from a deduction of 15% of the investment.
The Basque Country incentivizes the clean-up of contaminated soils. Taxpayers in Alava, Vizcaya and Guipuzcoa will be able to deduct 15% of the expenses incurred in the clean-up of contaminated soils in projects approved by official bodies in the Basque Country. The deduction will be applied directly to the taxpayer and, if required by the Administration, the taxpayer must present the certificate from the Basque Government certifying that the investments made comply with the corresponding requirements.
Soil contamination is an insidious threat, as it is more difficult to observe than other soil degradation processes such as erosion. It is therefore necessary to carry out studies to determine the risk associated with the substances present in the subsoil and their acceptability. In this line, LITOCLEAN is a specialist in determining which chemical substances are found in the subsoil, differentiating those originating from human activity from natural ones, studying how they are distributed and predicting their evolution.
LITOCLEAN is a reference in the development of soil decontamination projects thanks to the knowledge acquired over more than two decades of experience designing efficient action plans. It also has a multidisciplinary and highly qualified team of technicians that allows the company to face with guarantees each of the proposed operations.
Historically, the Basque Country has been a reference in the recovery of contaminated soils. After industrialization, the territory had 16.5% of contaminated soils (equivalent to 7,898 hectares), which is why a process of urban soil restoration was initiated. Despite the lack of organization, about 270 hectares were recovered between 2001 and 2007, which led to the Contaminated Soil Plan 2007-2012, endowed with 25.5 million euros.
Unfortunately, the outbreak of the crisis, with a severe economic recession in the real estate sector, paralyzed urban development projects and, consequently, slowed down decontamination work. At present, the Basque government is seeking to give a boost to the processes that were then left in the air, as evidenced by the commitment to sustainable development in the form of a tax incentive.
The legal changes promoted by the Basque executive are part of a comprehensive renewal process of the Corporate Income Tax initiated in 2013 that seeks to simplify it.
