Public Treasury List of Debtors: Pantoja and Osborne Owe

The Spanish Tax Agency has published its long-awaited list of major debtors for 2025, a document once again featuring high-profile figures such as singer Isabel Pantoja and presenter Bertín Osborne. Beyond debt collection, the strategy appears to be aimed at "political theater" with a powerful deterrent effect.

As every year, the publication of the list of major defaulters by the Spanish Treasury generates a media storm. In the 2025 edition, the names of singer Isabel Pantoja, presenter Bertín Osborne, and former Turkish soccer player Arda Turan stand out among the thousands of individuals and companies that owe the tax authorities more than 600,000 euros.

Well-known figures such as former banker Mario Conde and actress Paz Vega remain on the list, while others, such as the Afinsa company, have managed to be removed from the infamous registry. The publication of this list is one of the Tax Agency's most powerful and controversial tools to combat tax fraud.

The Political Theater of Deterrence

Although the list's primary objective is, in theory, to encourage debt repayment to avoid public exposure, its true power may lie in a more subtle realm: mass deterrence. The deliberate inclusion of celebrities and public figures turns an administrative act into a far-reaching media spectacle.

This "political theater" operates under a clear logic:

* Coverage Generation: The government is aware that the names Pantoja and Osborne guarantee headlines and extensive coverage in the press, television, and social media, something that a list of anonymous companies would not achieve.

* Message Amplification: This massive coverage extends the IRS's message far beyond the debtors themselves. The implicit message for the average taxpayer is clear and forceful: "If we're going after the rich and famous, we can go after you too."

* Shame as an Instrument: The strategy relies on "naming and shaming" and the public's interest in the downfall of idols (a phenomenon known as schadenfreude). This mechanism of social pressure becomes an instrument of fiscal policy.

The real value of the list to the State, therefore, would not be measured so much in the millions ultimately recovered from the public figures targeted, but in the billions that other taxpayers promptly pay out of fear of appearing in the next edition.

Connections to Corruption

This year's list also includes the main company implicated in the "fuel scheme," a corruption case currently under investigation in Spain. This inclusion reinforces the connection between massive tax evasion and other criminal activities, sending a signal that the fight against fraud is also a fight against structural corruption. The Treasury's strategy, therefore, is not only about tax collection, but also a declaration of principles regarding the integrity of the system.