Tackling tax evasion and simplifying the tax language.
A new record, 4.9 billion recovered in 7 months (+9% respect to the same period of 2009), due to focused and scientific assessment actions. Brand-new communications to the taxpayers as result of important efforts to reduce distance between tax administration and citizens.
This is the first balance of Revenue Agency activities for 2010 that confirms the growth, already registered in 2009 (9.1 billion of euro recovered in 12 months), in boosting Treasury coffers, and testifies the concrete will to develop a better dialogue with taxpayers, through a new wave of simplification.

Tackling tax evasion
One of the most significant action that the Italian tax administration has taken up is putting under control luxury goods and services (cars, yachts, expensive travels, etc.)  in order to detect taxpayers with a purchasing power higher than they declare. In the first 7 months of 2010 it has reached a considerable increase of 57% in terms of controls and amounts discovered (compared to the same period of 2009).
The efficiency of investigation activities put in the field by the Revenue Agency is also proved by the 2.2 billion of euro collected thanks to specific settlement, such as verifications with acceptance, with the taxpayers who agree to pay the required amount including taxes due, fines and reduced penalties in advance of any further revenue investigations.

Simplifying the tax language
The Italian Revenue Agency is developing  a "taxpayers-friendly" language and has just launched a brand-new version of the most common letters sent to citizens. This complete restyling, that is aimed to produce important results in terms of a better and easier dialogue with taxpayers, concerns all the different forms, applications and communications, such as income tax returns dedicated to individuals and companies. (va.ib.)

 

Italian pupils go back to fiscal lessons for becoming honest taxpayers. For the third time, the Italian Revenue Agency and the Ministry of Education signed the Memorandum of Understanding concerning Fisco e Scuola (Tax and School), the project aimed at disseminating the culture of tax legality to new generations, in order to make them aware of their role as "future taxpayers".

Since 2004, Fisco e Scuola carried out almost 9,000 activities (around 1,500 per year). This trend should be confirmed in 2010, considering they were arranged more than 800 events in the first semester of this year. The programme foresees: classes with Revenue Agency's officers, on-site visits to tax offices, conventions, workshops, theatrical labs. During the meetings, students are provided with specific kits, called "Together for tax legality", made up of poster, leaflet, brochure, comic, DVD, in which two nice characters, named Pag & Tax, explain the importance and necessity to contribute by paying taxes to the progress of the society. With the support of this two characters, who use a funny, informal and accessible language, tax officers can easily explain issues concerning tax compliance and legality, fostering things to ponder and discuss in class.

Further to the positive outcomes produced so far, the new agreement include also the organization of a specific "tax legality day", with the aim of reflecting upon the correct relationships between citizen's rights and the duty to contribute to the commonwealth. (al.len.)