In the year 2023, the recovery of tax evasion witnessed a new record with a staggering 24.7 billion euros being recovered, thanks to the efforts of the Revenue Agency and the Revenue Agency-Collection. This figure represents an increase of 4.5 billion more than the previous year, marking an increase of 22%. This is the largest amount ever recovered in this respect.
To break down this amount, 19.6 billion arose from the regular monitoring activities conducted by the tax authorities. An additional 5.1 billion came from exceptional measures such as the cancellation of tax bills, resolution of ongoing disputes, and fiscal peace. Ernesto Maria Ruffini, the director of the Revenue Agency, noted that the amount recovered last year was 24.7 billion euros, but if you factor in the 6.7 billion recovered for other entities, the total amount rises to 31 billion. This figure is almost comparable to a budget law.
Spontaneous revenue increases in 2023
The Revenue Agency has reported that the amounts voluntarily paid by citizens for the primary taxes (including direct, indirect, regional, and municipal taxes) have totalled 536.2 billion. This represents an increase of 26.6 billion compared to the previous year, a growth of 5%. The Minister of Economy, Giancarlo Giorgetti, emphasized the crucial role of the Revenue Agency. He noted that if the warehouse of uncollected amounts did not exist, half of the Italian public debt would be covered.
Deputy minister Maurizio Leo further elaborated that there would be no witch hunt for those who have failed to comply with the tax authorities. Instead, the focus will be on understanding why taxpayers are not complying. A tax reform is necessary to align Italy with other advanced European countries. Last year, through risk analyses and pre-emptive anti-fraud measures, the Revenue Agency was able to save the State budget 7.6 billion euros in false credits, undue compensations, and unjust VAT refunds. In the fight against the phenomenon of short-lived VAT numbers, the Agency has terminated approximately 2,300 companies.
Out of the record-breaking 24.7 billion in tax evasion recovery, 19.6 billion were due to the control activities of the tax authorities. Specifically, 11.6 billion came from direct payments, 4.2 billion from compliance promotion, and 3.8 billion from payment orders assigned to the Revenue Agency-Collection.
Ruffini also expressed his excitement for the potential advancements in new technologies, such as artificial intelligence, in improving risk analyses and aiding spontaneous compliance by citizens. Tax refunds in 2023 also saw a rise, exceeding 22.4 billion euros, a 12% increase from the previous year. Of this amount, 19.5 billion were allocated to the production sector and 2.9 billion to families.
In terms of assistance activities, the Agency managed nearly 4.5 million requests in its offices, over 3 million by phone, and more than 2 million Civis requests. Online services also saw an increase, with 92.3% of rental contracts and 92.7% of inheritance declarations being conducted online.
