Tax authorities and VAT numbers, two-year agreement: 2 billion in bills to determine income

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The advance bill that the tax authorities are preparing to present to small businesses, the self-employed and professionals will be able to count on a wealth of information. More than 2 billion electronic invoices per tax period. This is the basis (which must be compiled year after year) from which the financial department will begin to spin its “big brains” and try to launch, after the unfortunate fate of previous attempts, the new two-year configuration with creditors. A tool much desired by the Deputy Minister of the Economy, Maurizio Leo, who in the tax reform – which is expected from tomorrow to be examined in the second reading in the Senate – takes the line of play in advance and aims to accompany taxpayers towards automatic compliance. The goal is a fundamental change in the approach to combating tax evasion. As Liu often says, “let’s shift toward” so that we don’t have to chase undeclared taxable income with big checks, mass VAT numbers that the offices themselves won’t be able to cover.

Includes 2.5 million VAT numbers

It is a matter of monitoring and tracking at least 2.5 million VAT numbers, now subject to tax reporting (evolution of sectoral studies). A mind-boggling task both with current numbers of Revenue Agency staff and with a presumed strengthening in the future (see report on pg.). Hence the attempt, with the new arrangement with creditors, to generalize the data already available and those that will arrive in the next few years so as to arrive with a predictive program to suggest a “realistic” tax calculation. A calculation that would bind the taxpayer for two years, thus, without expecting anything more in terms of income taxes and Irap (as long as she is still alive) even if the revenue or compensation is better than expected.

That is why the electronic invoice will be the first source of information. A resource capable of tracking active (sales of goods and services) and passive (purchases) transactions, but after adjusting the codes for entry or items to be identified can reveal much more detail about the financial life of a productive activity. After all, behind the 2.2 billion e-invoices issued in 2022 (that is, passed through the Revenue Exchange System) there is a figure that could bode well for the ability of the tax authorities to be as reliable as possible: the number of people who completed and sent an e-invoice exceeded 5.5 million with a growth of more than 41% compared to the first year of interpersonal commitment. The figure is estimated to grow further if we consider that from 2024 the obligation will also be extended to all VAT figures in the flat rate system without the current exemptions. In the face of the objection that these numbers may not intercept those who do not issue invoices, there is a consideration that any “gaps” can also be filled by other sources guaranteed by the data held by the tax authorities: from electronic receipts to periodic VAT settlements. Just as it is happening now: electronic invoice data, for example, is converted into bookmarks for compliance letters or into anti-fraud key.

The Sogei-Sose operational arm has been strengthened

Moreover, the preparatory work on the arrangement with creditors will soon be able to count on a structure and on more than one strengthened technical partner. In the short term, the growing synergy between Sogei (i.e. the technology partner of the Italian tax authorities) and Sose (the company owned by Mef and the Bank of Italy that managed the sector studies first and now the tax reporting cards) will lead to a merger of the two companies that will allow the government and the financial department to have an operating arm Able to accelerate technology development projects and integrate other “external” tax history databases currently used for tax report cards. Even if, pending deputation executive decrees, many decisions still need to be fully focused, tax report cards form can serve as key to easier access to arrangement with creditors and preventive contrast with simplified procedures than Ddl provides deputation.

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The logic is the current reward system: whoever, in fact, reaches a vote of 8 upwards, thus adjusting to the outcome expected by the indicators of the tax authorities, will be able to obtain a preferential path to reaching the arrangement with the creditors. Data from the most recent ads available indicates that approximately 1.1 million people have points to participate in the prize offer. They are just under half of the audience: this means that it will be necessary to act on the remaining 55.4 percent to ensure that the change of perspective really works and does not turn into a boon for tax evaders, as critics claim.