News for Arab Countries
Special service by AGI on behalf of the Italian Prime Minister’s office
TAXES: EVASION BIG ENTERPRISES DOUBLE THAT OF SELF-EMPLOYED
Agenzia Giornalistica Italia, Italy
(AGI) -Rome, Aug 14 – Big enterprises evade nearly the double amount of taxes compared to self-employed workers, informed CGIA Mestre (association for handicraft and small enterprises) at the presentation of figures prepared by the economy ministry, in this way answering accuses against the self-employment sector.” Giuseppe Bortolussi, CGIA secretary, underlined: “Big enterprises account for a taxable amount of 7 billion euro evaded compared to the 4 billion undeclared by self-employed and small enterprises”.
For Bortolussi “there is no doubt: the most diligent tax evaders are not at all the self-employed”. According to the calculations of Mestre handicraft enterprises “not even those having a fix income can be considered innocent. According to Istat there are 2,600,000 employees having a second or third job without paying taxes, being therefore in true unfair competition especially with regard to self-employed workers. Without counting illegal activities of a great number of pensioners or unemployed”. For CGIA “there is nothing scandalous about the fact that 25 pct. of self-employed workers declare less than 6,000 euro per year” this is to be explained by various factors. First of all 70 pct. of handicraftsmen and shop owners work alone and it is probable that these categories have suffered from the downturn in consumption registered over the last few years. Moreover, the income differences existing on a geographical level can have lowered the national average. “If in 2003 self-employed workers in Lombardy paid an average net amount of 9.13 thousand euro in Irpef (regional income tax), Trentino 8.07, Friuli 7.43 and Veneto 7.19, on the other hand in the south, in Campania for example, self-employed workers paid an annual average of 5.87 thousand euro, in Sicily 5.72 and in Puglia 5.29. We have to consider that Campania (with 320,061 self-employed) and Sicily (310,436) have a higher number of self-employed with VAT code compared to Piedmont (291,635) and Emilia Romagna (301,384). It is obvious that such a situation notably lowers the national average and it is highly probable, given the special situation in the south, these figures include many poor self-employed”. According to CGIA also the high mortality of enterprises and the opportunity for individual enterprises to divide income between co-working family members have to be considered, even if the owner of an individual enterprise may not declare a percentage of income inferior to 51 pct. of the overall income. “Finally we must not forget the situation of agriculture in the south and in mountain regions, which for many self-employed represent forms of additional income, as well as the situation of nearly one million young people who have a VAT code but actually have a subordinated employment relationship, having only one “employer” or being in a situation of true income poverty”. (agi) –
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