15 bn enough to launch flat tax -Salvini

(ANSA) - Rome, March 18 - Deputy Premier and Interior Minister Matteo Salvini dismissed reports that the government's pledge to introduce a two-tier 'flat tax' on income could cost up to 60 billion euros. "Preposterous figures have been given (about the flat tax), 50-60 billion euros," League leader Salvini told RTL radio on Monday. "It's not the lottery - 12 to 15 billion are enough for the first phase in order to bring taxes down for lots of people".
    At the weekend there were reports that the economy ministry had done a simulation that estimated that introducing a 'flat tax' of 15% on earings of employees of up to 80,000 euros a year and 20% for incomes above this threshold would cost 59.3 billion euros.
    The introduction of a two-tier 'flat tax' was a key League pledge before last year's general election. The 2019 budget law featured a 15% rate for self-employed people on up to 65,000 euros a year. Fellow Deputy Premier and Labour and Industry Minister Luigi Di Maio said on Sunday that he was open to the hypothesis of having a flat tax of this type of the earnings of whole households, rather than individuals - an idea the government is reportedly considering.
    But 5-Star Movement (M5S) leader Di Maio also warned against making "easy promises like those of (Silvio) Berlusconi".