From tax bills to the Spesometro, from fair compensation for professionals to telephone and pay TV bills, passing through off-site students and therapeutic cannabis. There are many innovations contained in the tax decree linked to the maneuver that the Chamber approved today definitively with 237 votes in favour, 156 against and 3 abstentions. No changes compared to the text approved by the Senate on November 16th. Meanwhile, the Senate Chamber has voted the confidence placed by the Government on the maxi-amendment to the budget bill. There were 149 votes in favour, 93 against (no abstentions).
Let us now summarize the main innovations introduced by the tax decree in the form of a scheme.
TAX COLLECTIONS: REOPEN THE SCRAPPING
The scrapping now applies to all folders of the last 17 years, from 2000 to the third quarter of 2017. Those who had adhered to the previous amnesties but skipped the payment of the installments (31 July and 2 October) will be readmitted if they pay by 7 December.
FAIR REMUNERATION NOT ONLY FOR LAWYERS
The professionals' fees will be valid only if "proportional to the quantity and quality of the work performed". This is the basic principle of fair compensation. The norm 4 and a half million people: not only lawyers (as was envisaged in the first version of the decree), but also architects, accountants, surveyors or nurses. All professionals, whether registered with a professional order, college or association, fall within the scope of the new rules. Furthermore, fair compensation applies both when the worker performs a service for a private company and when the client is the public administration.
SPESOMETER: ANNUAL OR SIX-MONTHLY
Taxpayers will be able to transmit the data relating to the spending meter on an annual or half-yearly basis. Penalties are also abolished for errors made in sending invoice data for the first half of 2016, provided that these errors are remedied by sending them again by February 2018.
TLC, TV AND INTERNET: STOP BILLS AT 28 DAYS
Telephone and pay-TV bills will have to go back to being monthly and no longer 28 days. There is also a flat-rate refund of 50 euros which will have to be paid to companies that do not comply within 4 months.
ADVERTISING: TAX CREDIT EVEN FOR ONLINE NEWSPAPERS
The tax credit on additional investments made by businesses and workers in advertising campaigns in the daily and periodical press is also extended to online newspapers. The tax decree allocates a fund of 62,5 million euros for the year 2018 for the granting of the tax credit.
MINI-TAX SHIELD AT 3%
Former residents abroad and cross-border workers will be able to heal deposits left abroad, including proceeds from the sale of properties, by paying 3% of the value of the assets and the stock as at 31 December 2016 by way of taxes, penalties and interest. Deadlines extended until June 2020.
COLLECTION: TREASURY SUPERVISION
Supervision of tax collection activities passes from the Revenue Agency to the Ministry of the Economy.
OFF-SITE STUDENTS: DEDUCTIONS INCREASE
More off-site university students who can deduct rent from taxes. In fact, the rule that granted this benefit only to those who studied in a province other than that of residence was cancelled. The constraint of residing at least 100km away from the university where you study remains: however, if the students reside in the mountains or in disadvantaged areas, the distance is halved to 50km.
THERAPEUTIC CANNABIS: PUBLIC FUNDS ARE HERE
The preparations prescribed by the doctor for pain therapy will be paid for by the National Health Service. Allocated another 2,3 million for its dissemination. Production was also extended to other entities and companies, according to the procedures already envisaged for the military establishment in Florence.
LEAVING SCHOOL: A WRITTEN AUTHORIZATION IS REQUIRED
Middle school students (i.e. under the age of 14) will be able to go out on their own but an authorization signed by the parents will be required, exempting the institutes from liability. The intervention was made necessary after a sentence by the Court of Cassation.
EARTHQUAKE PACKAGE
Mortgage installments on first homes and production activities in the areas affected by the 2016 earthquake will be suspended until 2020. To remedy the extreme situations of displaced persons, free building activity is permitted for buildings built without a permit, eliminating the obligation to remove them by 90 days. In Ischia, taxes are suspended until the end of 2018. The island is recognized for 40 million in "compensation for damages".
