Fight against tax evasion yields 759 mn euros - update

(ANSA) - Rome, November 5 - Italy's economy ministry said Wednesday that its fight against tax evasion was yielding results, with revenues seized from the crackdown on tax avoidance jumping by 14.5% in the first nine months of the year, compared with the same period in 2013.
    That increase was worth 759 million euros.
    Meanwhile, the total tax revenue intake jumped by 0.1%, or 164 million euros, in the first nine months of the year compared with last year, to reach almost 291 billion euros.
    Over the same period, the total VAT take rose by 3%, or 2.257 billion euros, while increases attributable to internal consumption jumped by 3.7%, or 2.398 billion euros.
    The VAT on internal trade provides a good barometer of consumption.
    The economy ministry said that in September, the figures fell by 0.6% from the previous month, a trend that shows the impact of the economic slowdown.
    The fall is more dramatic when compared with an increase of 4% reported in August and an 8.3% rise reported last February.