Premier Giorgia Meloni said Wednesday that her government would overhaul Italy's penalties for tax offenses as part of efforts to create a less confrontational relationship between taxpayers and the inland revenue authorities.
"We are working to bring in European parameters because the ones we have are disproportionate, illogical and vexatious," Melonitold conference on taxation at the Chamber of Deputies.
"And quite useless too".
Meloni also defended the measures the government has passed to make it easier for people involved in tax disputes to settle with the authorities and denied that this would help tax evaders.
"The message we want to give is very simple," she said.
"We have no friends that we have to do favors for, apart from the honest Italians who pay their taxes and contribute to the public budget, even when they are unable to pay, but want to doso. "
There is no tolerance for those trying to be crafty, but people who are honest and in difficulty deserve to be helped.
"The tax reform aims to create a new idea of Italy closer to the needs of taxpayers and companies.
"They have accused us of wanting to help tax evaders, of loosening the fiscal mesh, of hiding imaginary amnesties.
"We answer with numbers, as 2023 was a record year for the fight against tax evasion, with 24.7 billion euros recovered for the State, 4.5 billion more than the previous year." Meloni added that she does not think taxes are "beautiful" and, therefore , her government will make sure public money is spent wisely.
"I don't think, and I will never say, that taxes are a beautiful thing," Meloni told the conference "Donations are beautiful, not levies imposed by law.
"That's why great responsibility comes with managing these resources.
"They must not be used irresponsibly to obtain easy, immediate popularity and leave it to those who come after (in government) to pay for that irresponsibility".
Her comment by her was an inverse echo of a remark made by late former economy minister Tommaso Padoa-Schioppa, who caused a furor in 2007 by saying that paying taxes was "beautiful" as it was a civilized way to contribute to society's collective needs.
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