March is local tax month. And it is for everyone, from Friuli to Sicily. At the end of this month, Italian taxpayers will have to resign themselves to an inexorably lighter paycheck. It was late summer when the Berlusconi government launched the latest measures signed by Giulio Tremonti. At the beginning of winter the Monti government launched the rescue-Italy maneuver. Now, with the beginning of spring, two of the main tax innovations of 2011 are triggered: the regional and municipal surtaxes.
ADDITIONAL REGIONAL IRPEF
This month the blow will be particularly heavy on the front of the regional Irpef surtaxes: the adjustment on 2011 will have to be paid. The minimum rate has been raised from 0,9 to 1,23%, but the individual regions can decide to go up to 1,73%. For the regions that have busted health bills, however, the rate reaches 2,03%.
ADDITIONAL MUNICIPAL IRPEF
The municipal surcharges were released by the August decree of former minister Tremonti. At the end of this month, the 30% deposit will have to be paid. In this case the maximum rate will not be affected (it remains at 0,8%), but all those municipalities that were previously obliged to keep it at a lower level will be able to raise it this year by 0,2%. Another +0,2% could come from 2013.
OTHER LOCAL TAXES: FROM IRAP DOWN
The professor's Executive then released a series of local taxes at all levels: municipal, provincial and regional. The Monti decree has not yet been converted into law by Parliament, but the increases can already arrive. The most feared increases are those on Irap, but nasty surprises could also come on the front of car tax, gas taxes, the right to study and professional qualifications.
THE 23% VAT SPECTRUM
March is not VAT month, but its ghost continues to hover. After last September's levy from 20 to 21%, next October the ordinary rate will make an even larger leap, reaching 23%. And this time the intermediate rate will also rise, from 10 to 12%.
The VAT increase was envisaged as a safeguard clause in the event that the Government failed to exercise the fiscal delegation, but the Deputy Minister of the Economy, Victor Grilli, confirmed the fears. In reality, there is no plan b. Furthermore, the adjustment would be consistent with the intention announced by Monti to shift the greater tax burden from direct to indirect taxes.
HELP FROM EQUITALIA: EASIER INSTALLMENTS
Obtaining the possibility of repaying one's debts with the tax authorities will be easier: Equitalia has made the parameters for requesting it more flexible, raising the maximum limit for the simplified procedure from 5 to 20 thousand euros. The maximum number of installments has been raised to 48, while the minimum amount of each payment remains fixed at 100 euros.
