Bersani proposes to abolish the withholding tax on workers: a healthy slap to the left

On the tax front, the progressive front always has a great deal of difficulty. He is unable to propose any new idea than that, now obsolete in the times of sluggish economics, Fighting tax evasion. Voters don’t want that, and Prime Minister Meloni explained that, pointing to new tax proposals that are considered substantial. Give up This is the Italian tradition. As American entrepreneur Leona Helmsley puts it, “only the humble pays taxes,” with a somewhat complimentary translation; She also constantly practices conviction which cost her a major conviction for tax evasion.

Always left a loser and then on taxes, like a stunned boxer locked in a corner? Maybe not. The usual idea about inventing something new Bersani which remained one of the few voices in the field. In answer to a question about the null result of the recent and feigned confrontation between Meloni and the unions, he adopted a motion, then considered extravagant, put forward by the then radicals Marco painting, and we will not see completely new even in the conservative field. Responding to a question, Bersani remarked that if he had been a unionist, since the prime minister is doing nothing to counter the massive tax evasion of the self-employed, he would have suggested balancing the bill Abolition of withholding workers tax employees and retirees. For those who are not experts, the tax withholding agent is the subject, generally the business owner, who collects taxes and Social Security contributions each month by law in the employee’s or retiree’s name. Professionals and the self-employed have been calculating taxes and contributions themselves, with plenty of wiggle room as data has shown for at least a decade. This mechanism was introduced with the tax reform of 1973 and can be easily modified.

Why Bersani calls for its abolition? Specifically, to make a salary heavier. Without this withholding tax, the employee’s salary or pensioner’s income will increase by 40-50% Immediately. In fact, every month he will get the full share of his Irpef proceeds and Social Security contributions paid now. He’ll end up with a nice extra nest egg. Of course the following year on this income must be calculated taxes and contributions, just as freelancers and professionals do now. But then this can be done, using neurotic language, Some tax planning Determining how much you will pay the state is at personal discretion. If we calculate a possible 70% decrease in undeclared income, as is the case today for those who do not have a withholding agent, we will be able to estimate the revenue loss for the state of 136 billion, given that Irpef’s revenue in 2021 reached 198 billion.

With Bersani, we note that if Meloni is happy with tax evasion of more than 80 billion, he will be happier when evasion increases by another 136 billion. If there is some financial oversight, no It doesn’t matter. You can pay what you owe with a small fine, nice vice-minister taxes, or you can defend a state of necessity in tough times of inflation. If a problem arises how to fund Public servicesi.e. health, education, safety, etc., no problem. Every citizen will pay his own hospital or school fees, just as it was a century ago or like today in the United States. If voters don’t want to fund the welfare state with taxes, patience. People are sovereign and must be followed, even when they make choices that are clearly inaccurate from an economic point of view. With the abolition of the withholding tax we will have a new Democratic tax, even if Down. Since it has been widely verified that some categories of taxpayers do not want to pay taxes, it is also necessary on the left to move to Plan B, that is, to allow everyone, even retirees and employees, reduce it Through a somewhat manipulated self-advertisement.

So, a money proposal with comic lines? Maybe, but not by much. The tax officer in Barsani is good company. Indeed, the former parliamentarian was not the first to come up with this brilliant intuition. Reservation agent cancellation It’s one of many ideas the League has put to paper In a recent tax reform proposal. In the explanatory report of his bill entitled Heavy Paycheck: Eliminate the Withholding Agent It reads: “Withholding part of the reward upfront for tax compliance is morally unacceptable! Abolishing the withholding tax would embody a far-reaching reform, not only from an economic-financial point of view, but also from a point of view of social justice.”

If the left wants to win again, it must adapt to this new standard of social justice: not paying anyone to pay less. Instead, eliminate withholding taxes to pay less for everyone. A few million taxpayers are already doing it beautifully, and now it’s essential Constant stretching This possibility is for everyone. Then that this point puts a true left and the post-Po bond is a sign of its intrinsic goodness. Barsani gave a delicious sense of humor Healthy smack to the left; Let us hope that the Progressive Front will now strike a blow with concrete and popular proposals, on taxes as on many other matters.