(Finance) – “The government has worked intensely on the decrees implementing the tax reform in line with the measures and guidelines contained in the budget maneuver for the three-year period 2024/2026. A responsible maneuver aimed at promoting growth and employment with targeted and selective measures to support families and low-income workers, taking into account the public finance constraints and the complex international context with many ongoing geopolitical uncertainties. Despite these difficulties, the confidence of Italian savers has grown and they have returned to subscribing to the government bonds and the confidence of international observers demonstrated by the positive opinions of the rating agencies”. This is what he stated Giancarlo Giorgetti, Minister of Economy and Finance, during VII National Forum of Accountants and Accounting Experts “The tax reform and the 2024 budget law”, promoted by Italia Oggi with the patronage of Pension fund for accountants and accounting experts, chaired by Luigi Pagliuca.
An update on the progress of the Pnrr was illustrated by Raffaele Fitto, Minister for European Affairs. “I like to underline that in June 2026 all the interventions envisaged within the Plan must be completed. A great challenge, a great opportunity for Italy and Europe and to make the most of it – said Fitto – a collective effort of the the entire country system. The definition for collecting the sixth and seventh installment of the Plan are the two objectives of 2024. To this end, the choice of a new governance represented an absolute and positive novelty and this is demonstrated by the fact that Italy is the only European country that obtained payment of the fourth installment and requested payment of the fifth”.
He spoke about the news related to the tax reform Maurizio Leo, deputy minister of Economy and Finance. “Professionals represent the transmission belt in the relationship between tax authorities and taxpayers. They have a decisive role both for the composition with creditors and for cooperative compliance, but also – underlines Leo – for those who do not fall into the latter category. Cooperative compliance will require certification of the tax risk and the tax control framework. In the mapping and monitoring, national and international accounting principles must be taken into account. Slippery matter, and who better than chartered accountants can play this role? As far as the agreement is concerned, the professionals will be able to to provide important evaluative elements for a tax system that wants to dialogue. The world of subjects who can join the concordat has around 4.2 million taxpayers divided into two areas: the flat-rate taxpayers (1.7 million) and the ISA subjects (around 2.5 ml). Among the latter, approximately 1.4 ml do not reach the coefficient 8 and in the past the assessments were approximately 1% because the Revenue Agency had a staff shortage which we began to fill with the first 3 thousand units hired at which will add another 1500. The aim is to gradually bring these subjects to pay taxes”. The point on the state’s real estate assets was illustrated by Lucia Albano (undersecretary of the MEF): “We have established a control room to best manage the valorisation and disposal of public real estate assets which currently amounts to around 100 billion euros without counting the land and forests, in order to have a positive impact on the public debt. The state brick constitutes an extraordinary opportunity also from a social point of view. The government has implemented an important reform that focuses on social housing and student residences, real emergencies for our country”.
Optimism about the composition with creditors was expressed by Alberto Gusmeroli, president of the Productive Activities Commission of the Chamber. “The composition with creditors – said Gusmeroli – was started by removing the barrier of the Isa 8 report card in order to make it more attractive. We are faced with a great process of simplification and emergence of the underground economy which will lead to a rebalancing of the citizen-tax relationship and to a reduction in the tax burden”.
He spoke about the fight against tax evasion Massimo Garavaglia, president of the Finance Commission at Palazzo Madama. “Fighting tax evasion, avoidance and failure to invoice – stated Garavaglia – represents a priority for this government. We have gone from the estimated 120 billion in recent years, stolen from the state coffers by tax evaders, to 85 billion today. Mainly thanks to the introduction of electronic invoicing.”
“In terms of the implementation of the tax reform and cooperative compliance which is one of the topics of the tax delegation, – he underlined Ernesto Maria Ruffini, director of the Revenue Agency – we are working for the maximum performance of an institute made operational at the time by applying the rules without there being any best practices to refer to. The appeal of that institute has been growing until it reached 111 admitted entities as of December 31st, which guarantees transparent collaboration with the tax authorities through constant and preventive dialogue. Jointly evaluating situations that potentially generate tax risks. In the 2016/2021 period, the difference between the expected sums and those actually received into the treasury coffers was reduced by approximately 24 billion, halving VAT evasion from 35 to 18 billion”.
Roberto Alesse, director of the Customs Agencyspoke of the birth of a single European customs authority which “will be a turning point in having a ‘risk central’ to neutralize illegal goods and to prevent counterfeit goods from continuing to give rise to forms of unfair competition. A single customs system at a European level it means defending the entire economic system from external attacks in times of wild spread of electronic commerce”.
The priorities in the repression and prevention of tax evasion were illustrated by Marco Thione, head of the revenue protection office of the Guardia di Finanza general command. “With regard to the 2024 operational directives, on the repression front – said Thione – we will act mainly with activities to combat tax fraud carried out through false invoicing or in the field of incentive bonuses, combating the underground economy of companies, digital tax evasion resulting from trade electronic, where we have obtained important results against VAT evasion and the fight against major international tax evasion. Equally important will be the crime prevention activity for which in 2024 we will support compliance to prevent crimes, fully grasping the spirit of the reform tax in place”.
“I am confident – he maintained Elbano de Nuccio, president of the National Council of Chartered Accountants – that with the dialogue between professionals and the government we will be able to overcome the critical issues, also in light of the innovative scope of the tax reform in which we will play an increasingly important role thanks also to the recognition, for the first time, of an exclusivity for our profession” .