Meloni pledges 'revolution' in tax relationships

(ANSA) - ROME, FEB 9 - Premier Giorgia Meloni has promised a major overhaul of the relationship between Italy's tax authorities and taxpayers in an interview published in Thursday's edition of financial daily Il Sole 24 Ore.
    The government is trying to install an 'fiscal peace' with taxpayers to end the current situation in which the authorities have a huge backlog tax disputes with millions of people worth many billion euros, much of which is unlikely to ever be collected.
    Opposition parties have criticised this approach, saying it risks helping tax evaders.
    "It is necessary to revolutionize the relationship between the tax authorities and the taxpayer, so that evasion is fought even before it takes place" Meloni said.
    She said the government would present legislation that "will touch all the fiscal sectors" and will put "employees and pensioners at the centre with ad hoc measures".
    Several experts say that too much of Italy's tax burden is footed by people in regular employment for businesses or the State, and not enough tax revenues are coming from other types of workers and other forms of taxation, such as VAT.
    Meloni said she wants to cut the labour-tax wedge further.
    She also said the government intends to increase the proportion of Italy's public debt in the hands of Italian residents and have less in foreign hands to boost the security of the public finances. (ANSA).