Adnkronos Rome, October 6 (Adnkronos) – "The tax system must ensure fairness and proportionality, not punish those who grow. Tax rates need to be better calibrated, preventing the top rate from kicking in too early and restoring a sense of fairness in contributions." "There's talk of reducing the intermediate rate from 35% to 33%. That would be a first step, but if the benefits for those above that threshold are then eliminated, it becomes yet another mockery: they promise a cut to the middle class and then deny it to the very people who finance that same measure."
Manageritalia President Marco Ballarè stated this during his speech at the meeting "Tax and Welfare: Proposals for a New Season of Growth" organized by Manageritalia.
"Today, middle- and upper-middle-income earners," he explains, "the true economic and professional backbone of the country, often end up doubly penalized: excluded from support and simultaneously deprived of the tax optimization tools available to higher-income earners. Thus, the burden of the tax system falls precisely on those who bear it most, without adequate economic or social recognition." "From 2022, the maximum rate of 43% will already kick in at 50 euros. The result is a disproportion that undermines fairness: a manager earning 105 euros pays 13,5 times as much in taxes as an employee earning 30 euros, despite earning only 3,5 times as much. This isn't progressivity; it's disproportion," Ballarè remarks.
"Every new tax write-off," he continues, "is not a sign of fairness, but a distorted message: it rewards those who haven't done their duty and penalizes those who have always done so. There's no 'bonus for honest people': the only true recognition possible is a fairer tax system for all. We don't need new amnesties, we need a serious fight against tax evasion, an efficient tax administration that truly recovers what's owed and reduces the pressure on those who already support the country."
"In Italy, since 2000, thirteen tax amnesties have been enacted," Ballarè recalled, "one every two years. During the same period, Germany implemented two—in 2001 and 2004—and France none. Instead, it has chosen to strengthen the preventive fight against tax evasion by investing in controls, digitalization, and tax culture. This proves that a fair system doesn't require periodic amnesties, but clear, stable rules that are respected by all."
"A budget isn't just about balancing public finances: it must also stimulate productivity, innovation, and growth among the highest value-added businesses." "We need a vision that incentivizes investment, digitalization, and the ability of the Italian manufacturing system to compete on global markets. Taxation and welfare must be industrial policy tools, not separate chapters: only in this way can sustainable, high-quality development be generated."
"The new era of growth must be based on three clear pillars: a fair tax system that rewards merit and broadens the tax base; a modern welfare system, not seen as a cost but as an investment for individuals and businesses; and thirdly: protecting purchasing power for workers and retirees. It's not just a question of numbers, it's a question of trust: trust in jobs, in careers, in the future. If we don't rebuild it," Ballarè argues, "the country will grind to a halt. If we rebuild it, we can truly usher in a more equitable, sustainable, and inclusive era of development."
"Holding the increase in the retirement age is helpful, but it's not enough. Without a solid second pillar, we're rebuilding a house with failing foundations. We need to make supplemental pension plans more attractive by reducing taxation on returns, reviewing the rules for life annuities, and incentivizing young people to join."
"Since 1997, in 28 years, the equalization mechanism has been changed 15 times. The result is that pensioners have lost more than four times their purchasing power. This is a distortion that undermines trust and dignity. We need a stable rule, not subject to discretionary decisions, that protects those who have worked their entire lives," Ballarè concluded.