In just four years, Italians have evaded 231 billion in VAT, a hole produced for 77% by household consumption and the remaining 23% by that of businesses. This is what emerges from the latest map of the Revenue Agency of the "tax gap", i.e. the evasion linked to the value added tax. The most recent figure, published today, refers to the period 2007-2010.
“The analysis distinguishes two different revenue components – reads the note from the Agency -, final consumption and intermediate uses, as defined in the Integrated System of European Accounts. The former referable to household final consumption, the latter to businesses. The results show that the average gap in the VAT base amounts, in the years 2007-2010, to approximately 231 billion euros, of which 77% is linked to the final consumption of households and 23% to the final consumption of businesses, in practice intermediate jobs”.
As for the territorial distribution, "in the Southern Regions (including the islands) the gap is worth around 83 billion, or 36% of the total - continues the note -, followed by the North West (27%), the North-East (21%) and the Center (17%). In any case, as many as 11 Regions have overall propensities for the gap lower than the national average. In particular, Lazio, Valle d'Aosta and Trentino Alto Adige record the lowest values. In general, the average propensity for the VAT gap of final consumption of households in the North is lower than in the South".
