Wealthy Italians are breathing a sigh of relief, as the Prime Minister announces changes to the country’s current austerity plans, which will see the removal of a proposed temporary solidarity tax on high income earners. In an effort to round up more support for the Italy’s proposed austerity plans, on August 29th the Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and Finance Minister Giulio Tremonti met with Umberto Bossi, leader of their coalition ally the Northern League party. Following the seven hour long meeting, the Prime Minister’s ... Read More

Italy’s latest austerity package was always expected to cause some controversy, but discussions are now getting heated as the country’s professional football players threaten to go on strike over the new solidarity tax measure. In an interview with with local media on August 17th the Minister for Legislative Simplification of Italy Roberto Calderoli said that if the country’s professional football players continue with their threats of strikes over a new solidarity tax, the Minister will put forward a proposal to double their payment ... Read More

The UK could soon follow Germany in signing a tax deal with Switzerland in order to reduce the occurrence of cross border tax evasion while allowing Switzerland to maintain its bank confidentiality regulations. The president of the Swiss Bankers Association Patrick Odier has revealed that Swiss and UK tax authorities are only a few weeks away from concluding negotiations over a new cooperative tax deal. Under proposals raised in the negotiations, Swiss banks would be responsible for applying a flat rate withholding ... Read More

Italy could soon raise the rate of the national capital gains tax in an effort to take reign of the country’s escalating debt problem. In a concentrated effort to quash criticisms of the government’s handling of the country’s overwhelming debt levels, the Finance Minister of Italy Giulio Tremonti outlined the government’s plans for changes to the national tax system. The new policy was revealed in an address to the joint session of the Budget and Constitutional Affairs committees of Italy's Chamber of Deputies ... Read More

Italy is taking an unconventional approach to battling tax evasion, with a new advertising campaign which tries to change the country’s perception on tax compliance and calls tax evaders “parasites”. From August 9th Italian taxpayers are set to be faced with a brand new anti-evasion advertising campaign to attack tax evaders, with billboards publicly decrying those who evade taxes as “parasites on society”. The campaign will be divided into two separate themes, with additional media coverage to illustrate the extensive benefits of ... Read More