Aldi, Auchan, Lidl, PENNY, SPAR, Tesco: in 2024 they paid more than 710 billion into the budget, while closing with a loss

By: Trademagazin Date: 2026. 04. 08. 12:25

🎧 Hallgasd a cikket: Nyelv: Sebesség: 1.05×

The six large, internationally-based food retail chains operating in Hungary (Aldi, Auchan, Lidl, PENNY, SPAR, Tesco) collectively paid more than 710 billion forints in taxes and contributions to the Hungarian budget in 2024. The largest items of the payments were VAT (370 billion forints) and the special retail tax (170 billion forints); In addition, taxes and contributions on wages (88 billion forints) and several other types of taxes and fees (such as corporate tax, business tax, advertising tax, building tax, product fees) represented a significant item.

According to the document, the chains can be considered “Hungarian companies in many respects”: 80% of their food products come from domestic sources, they employ more than 50,000 Hungarian workers, and in 2024 they saved and distributed more than 12,000 tons of food to those in need.

The weight of the payments is illustrated by the fact that, according to the text, the 710 billion forints alone would have been sufficient to finance state expenditure items such as family allowance or full general practitioner care, or even combinations of these. At the same time, the combined balance sheet of the six chains showed a loss of 24.5 billion forints in 2024.

Employment and wage dynamics: over 50 thousand employees, gross average of 595 thousand forints at the end of 2024

The employment impact is also shown in a separate article: the six chains employed more than 50 thousand people in 2025, while their indirect impact reaches the livelihood of “another tens of thousands” of families through the supplier network. The text highlights that more than 90% of the milk, fresh chicken, baked goods, and seasonal vegetables and fruit they sell come from domestic suppliers.

Referring to a study by GKI Economic Research Zrt., the material states that wage dynamics at these companies was 80% between 2021 and 2024 (compared to the national average of 66.2%), and the gross average earnings of employees rose to over 595 thousand forints by December 2024, and since then it has been “well over 600 thousand forints”.

The document also reports that in 2024 the companies employed more than a thousand employees with reduced working capacity, and supported the training of 9,200 people (in addition to mandatory training) with a value of approximately 300 million forints.

We provide jobs and livelihoods for many tens of thousands of Hungarians_ We operate here, we pay taxes here, we have paid more than 710 billion into the budget_