Diesel anxiety. According to some rumors released by Corriere della Sera, the government plans to cancel the tax rebate for diesel but not for petrol (and which determines the price difference at the pump). The goal would be to use the extra revenue, around 5 billion euros each year, to partially cover the flat tax.
Numbers in hand, the strategy would make sense. Together with the basic income, the flat tax is the flagship provision of the Legatellato programme, but it costs a lot (we are talking about 50 billion a year) and therefore it is very complicated to finance without increasing the deficit (35 billion should come from the " fiscal peace”, i.e. from the amnesty provided for in the Lega-M5S contract, but these are uncertain resources and in any case not sufficient).
The rebalancing of excise duties on fuel would also make sense from an environmental point of view, given that the damage caused by diesel engine emissions has now been ascertained. It is no coincidence that large cities are closing historic centers to vehicles that burn diesel (Milan will do so in 2021, Rome in 2024) and car manufacturers have announced the abandonment of the production of this type of engine (they have already moved this direction Volvo, Porsche, Toyota and FCA).
The problem is political. In the face of the millions of voters who say they believe in the "Government of Change", is it likely that the Executive will choose to enact a tax increase as the first measure?
The Ministry of the Environment, consulted by Fattoquotidiano.it, denied the news, explaining that the idea of realigning the excise duties on diesel and petrol was probably part of an old dossier. However, it is not excluded that another ministry is working on the project, that of Transport, which is responsible for the matter.
