“Government’s view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: «If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it””. This sentence of Ronald Reaganfortieth President of the United States of America, should be kept in mind by Giorgia Meloni, the first female Prime Minister of the Italian Republic.
Yes, because on the story of the short rentals it seems that the Executive in office is intent on doing precisely what President Reagan indicated – ironically – as a vice of every Government: “If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. If he stops moving, subsidize him.” Phase 1, phase 2 and phase 3.
Rents, new taxes?
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In the meantime, it is still on the table of the Minister of Tourism – even if the Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini he literally demolished it during a Confconstruction conference – the text of the bill aimed at limiting short-term rentals through, among other things, the ban on renting out apartments for just one night, the obligation for everyone to open a business owners who rent more than two houses for short periods, the introduction of various obligations more suitable for a hotel than a house. In Reagan’s scheme, phase 2.
Two considerations
While waiting for the Government to move towards phase 3 (public subsidies), let’s try to make some considerations.
Do you really want to increase the dry tax rate on short-term rentals? If so, we could define it as an exemplary case of political masochism. In the face of the sacrosanct criticism for a measure that is conceptually wrong and not consistent with the commitments undertaken, in fact, the benefits would be zero. The measure would only bring a few more euros into the state coffers (if the intent was to increase revenue) and would not even be able to discourage short-term rentals (if the objective, however, was to make a courtesy to hoteliers, who every day ask to remove from the market what they see as annoying competition). The effect would be very different: circumvention of the law and escape from legality.
If then, as written by the Republicthe tax increase were limited to owners who have more than one rented apartment (evidently considered rich landowners to be punished), we would be at paradox. The coupon was introduced by the Berlusconi government, among other things, to simplify and reduce the underground economy. With this modification, there would be more complication and more black. It wouldn’t be a great result. President Meloni, take a look and have this rule canceled.