The objective of this article is to demonstrate the economic viability of Catalonia as an independent state, analysing, in particular, aspects of commerce and taxation. The results show that Catalonia has a GDP level that is above the EU-15 average and, in spite of being a small country, it has a very open economy that allows it to obtain scale effects in growth and to be a competitive country. Likewise, in tax terms, it is estimated that an independent Catalonia would have a fiscal gain of around 7% of GDP, which would allow it not only to maintain its present welfare state, but also to increase it.

Key words: secession, economic viability, commercial and fiscal flows.
JEL Classification: F1, H2.