Tax Evasion in Italy: rich have-nots and poor owners

Summer vacations are next and during this period the worst italian affaires become more evident. I strongly believe that one of the main critical knots in Italy is fiscal evasion (at economic and social level) which in these recent years finds fertile humus thanks to the very weak and timid governmental interventions not disposed to damage the interests of its main electoral base: self employed workers (entrepreneurs, freelance workers, lawyers, etc.)

With regards to this issue, I cite the following press release (my translation from italian) by Associazione Contribuenti Italiani (Italian Taxpayers Association) about a strange italian summer phenomenon.

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"The number of rich have-nots is increasing in Italy. 47% of rent contracts for luxury villas in Porto Cervo (Sardinia) are registered in the name of have-nots or retired people having social subsidies on behalf of rich entrepreneurs to elude taxation." This is the result presented in a meeting in Pescara titled "rich have-nots and poor owners" organized by the Italian Taxpayers Association which analyzes the trends of tax evasion in Italy.

These data confirm that the phenomenon of rich have-nots and poor owners, spending millions € completely eluding taxes, is growing in Italy.

According to recent studies, presented in Pescara, in 2006 about 11 million italians earn less than 6000 €/year. About 0.12% of italian taxpayers declare more than 200,000 €/year and only 0.70% of them more than 100,000 €/year. During the same period 223,000 luxury houses have been rented, 137,000 luxury yachts sold and a remarkable number of luxury cars and sailboats.
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