Flat tax, all divisions between the Brothers of Italy, Lega and Forza Italia

10 August 20222 years ago babelfish

What is said in Fratelli d'Italia, Lega and Forza Italia about the Flat tax. Facts, numbers, differences and insights

Fibrillations in the center-right parties on the flat tax.

When to do it? How to do it? These are two of the key questions to which the Brothers of Italy, Lega and Forza Italia answer differently.

In particular, the parties headed by Matteo Salvini and Silvio Berlusconi respectively are drumming ideas, slogans and numbers on the flat tax.

“The flat tax has increased revenues for the state by as much as 30%: we do not want to create further deficits. The flat tax will be in the 100-day program, it is the most important point of the program, ”Forza Italia leader Silvio Berlusconi told Radio 24 today.

Yesterday, the leader of the Lega Matteo Salvini relaunched the idea of a flat tax at 15% (while Berlusconi had indicated a rate of 23%) also for employees. The measure would cost the Treasury 80 billion a year, analyzes La Stampa which hears various economists on the subject. The leader of the Brothers of Italy Giorgia Meloni is a candidate for Palazzo Chigi: "If FdI wins, I will be premier".

But the generalized Flat Tax over which Lega and Forza Italia are battling with rates in the tax program of Fratelli d'Italia, the first party in the coalition according to the polls, is not there, because the idea of a flat tax is limited to income Incremental, Il Sole 24 Ore reveals today: "And there is no" fiscal peace ", replaced by a diversified" fiscal truce "according to the situation of taxpayers".

The one developed by the Economics and Finance Department of FdI coordinated by Maurizio Leo – adds the Confindustria daily – “is a« fiscal pact »for citizens and businesses. Which also retrieves, updating them, some ideas of the recent past.

From Fratelli d'Italia, divisions with Lega and Fratelli d'Italia are denied on the theme: "No, there are no divisions – Leo told the newspaper Verità & Affari – We also believe that, for VAT numbers, it is right to raise from 65 thousand to 100 thousand euros of annual income the limit for the current flat tax. Having said this, always with a view to promoting growth and employment, we would intend, immediately, in the first 100 days, to introduce, for everyone and, therefore, also for those who do not use the current minimum regime, a flat tax mechanism. on incremental income. For example, to those who for 2021 had declared an income of 40,000 euros and perhaps will close 2022 with an income of 60,000 euros, a flat rate of 15% could be applied, but only on the 20,000 euros more ”.

Among the fiscal proposals of the party's program chaired by Giorgia Meloni, the voluntary of cash stands out – according to the Sole 24 Ore – to bring out the assets hidden in the safety deposit boxes which according to the most recent estimates exceed 100 billion. To attract taxpayers, the idea is to apply taxes to 50% of the regularized cash, on the assumption that that amount corresponds (as a lump sum) to the annuities still ascertainable by the tax authorities. The hypothesis had already appeared alongside the old voluntary companies, but it has always been stopped by political controversies and technical doubts on the possibility of excluding sums resulting from money laundering or self-laundering. Still on cash, FdI proposes to raise the threshold to 3 thousand euros ".

But "Fratelli d'Italia does not want amnesties", clearly underlines the text of the tax plan that Il Sole 24 Ore anticipates today: "However, it opens up to a" fiscal truce "to facilitate regularization, with differentiated mechanisms according to the amounts and of the taxpayer's situation, with the red thread of the "5 rule": the tax remains due, but can be paid in installments over 5 years and with a 5% penalty ".

The two proposals are included in the "first 100 days" program. To deal with the emergency, VAT on energy (in part this is already the case) and basic necessities should be cut at the debut, the intervention on the tax wedge deepened and facilitations introduced to reduce the tax burden of companies in proportion to investments and hiring. All in view of a broader reform, which should lead to a three-rate personal income tax (23% up to 15 thousand euros, 27% up to 50 thousand and 43% above), to the overcoming of IRAP and the reorganization of the laws. tax in a single tax code. All these issues interact with the proxy law attempted unsuccessfully by the Draghi government.

But the FdI menu adds – we read in the Confindustria newspaper – other ingredients, such as an arrangement with creditors between VAT and tax authorities. The tax authorities would predetermine the taxpayer's income for two years, also thanks to the completion of the pre-filled VAT; and the interested party, by joining, would obtain a simplification of the obligations and above all an exemption on any additional income.

Here is an excerpt from the interview of the newspaper Verità & Affari with Maurizio Leo, who coordinates the Economics and Finance department of Fratelli d'Italia:

It does not talk about the flat tax, which is the workhorse of Lega and Forza Italia, a significant difference.

“No, there are no divisions. We also believe that, for VAT numbers, it is right to raise the limit for the current flat tax from 65 thousand to 100 thousand euros of annual income. Having said this, always with a view to promoting growth and employment, we would intend, immediately, in the first 100 days, to introduce, for everyone and, therefore, also for those who do not use the current minimum regime, a flat tax mechanism. on incremental income. For example, to those who for 2021 had declared an income of 40 thousand euros and perhaps will close 2022 with an income of 60 thousand euros, a flat rate of 15% could be applied, but only on the 20 thousand euros more. In short, a sort of generalized reward for those who work more and produce more, whatever their activity: employee, self-employed, entrepreneur. The idea is also to engage a virtuous circuit to counter evasion ".

The fiscal shock Berlusconi and Salvini are talking about, however, is something else: few rates, maximum two, and lower.

“Yes, but it can only be an objective of the legislature, no one thinks of making such a turn now, with the 2023 budget law. There are neither national nor international conditions. We have a debt of 160% of GDP, there is a war in progress, inflation at 8%, a series of commitments with Europe, in short, the whole center-right is aware that we must move with caution, albeit with clear objectives. and with a view to legislatures. I believe that, already in the first 100 days, we can afford an incremental flat tax to create the conditions that at the end of the legislature lead to a structural system ”.

You also speak of a fiscal respite. Is it the usual amnesty?

“No, we have come from a two-year period marked by the pandemic that has led many to not even be able to pay taxes and in many cases it has been the governments themselves that have postponed the deadlines. Here, starting from this observation, let's think about the possibility of opening a season in which the right incentives are created so that the tax authorities and taxpayers avoid arguing or, if they have already done so, make peace: the fiscal truce, in fact. We foresee a series of options ”.

This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/economia/flat-tax-tutte-le-divisioni-tra-fratelli-ditalia-lega-e-forza-italia/ on Tue, 09 Aug 2022 09:08:16 +0000.