Le excise duties on diesel remain reduced until October 5th, but it discount on diesel it comes progressively halvedThe new decree approved by the Council of Ministers provides for a gradual reduction in the benefit: From September 18th to 25th the discount on diesel will be 12,2 cents per litre, VAT included, while from September 26th it will drop to 6,1 cents.
The extension therefore maintains the discount on diesel for a few more weeks, with the benefit gradually decreasing. This is the sixteenth such measure enacted since March 19, just as fuel prices continue to rise.
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Diesel excise duty: starting September 18th, the discount drops to 12,2 cents.
The first step will be triggered Friday September 18Until September 25, the excise duty on diesel will be set at €572,90 per thousand liters, compared to the usual €672,90. Translated into a 50-liter refueling, the reduction is €6,10, considering the discount of 12,2 cents per litre including VAT.
From the September 26 to the 5 October the benefit will be halved. The excise duty will rise to 622,90 euros per thousand liters and the discount at the pump will drop to 6,1 cents per litre, equal to 3,05 euros on a 50-litre tank.
For companies e professionals For those who can recover the VAT, the calculation changes: the actual benefit is only the reduction in the excise duty, that is, 10 cents per litre in the first phase and 5 cents in the second.
Diesel prices: why the cut isn't enough
The reduction of excise duties is part of a market in which the diesel has already reached high pricesAccording to the latest data from the Mimit Price Observatory, diesel costs an average of €2,246 per liter on the road network and €2,236 on the motorway for self-service stations.
Prices are mainly driven by international prices: Brent It's approaching $110 a barrel, while wholesale diesel has exceeded €1.200 per thousand liters. The final price, therefore, depends not only on taxes, but also on the cost of oil, refined products, and supply chain margins.
This is why cutting excise taxes doesn't automatically translate into a reduction in the same amount at the pump. If oil prices or other costs increase, part of the tax benefit may be absorbed.
Road haulage, extension costs, and what happens after October 5th
The provision provides specific interventions also for road transportFor commercial diesel consumption between September 18th and 25th, eligible businesses will receive a refund of €169,68 per thousand liters. The tax credit for the sector, estimated at €21,2 million, has also been extended until October.
The extension of the excise duty discount will instead lead to for the State an expense of 111,8 million of euros in 2026 and another 1,2 million in 2028.
Finally, it remains to be seen what will happen once the extension has endedThe Government has indicated the possible recourse to movable excise duties, a mechanism that allows a portion of the increased VAT revenue generated by rising fuel prices to be used to reduce excise duties. However, neither the potential new discount nor its duration have been defined yet. The possibility of intervention will depend on the increased available revenue and energy price trends.
