The ‘income metre’ enables authorities to check people’s spending to see if it is compatible with their declared incomes.
The decree, which was signed by Deputy Economy Minister Maurizio Leo of Meloni’s right-wing Brothers of Italy party, reintroduces the measure brought in under ex-Prime Minister Matteo Renzi’s centre-left government in 2015 and suspended in 2018.
Leo stressed that the new measure was very different from the original ‘income metre’, saying the decree put limits on the tax authorities’ ability to dispute alleged incongruities between people’s declared earnings and their expenditure on cars, homes, boats and travel etc.
Nevertheless, the other two parties in Meloni’s ruling coalition, Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Matteo Salvini’s right-wing League and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani’s centre-right Forza Italia, both expressed unhappiness at the move.
Meloni said that she would talk about the issue to Leo and had asked him to report to the cabinet on it.
“If changes are necessary, I will be the first to ask for them,” she said.
“This government will never bring in a ‘Big Brother’ tax regime.
“I have always been against invasive income metre mechanisms being applied to ordinary people.”
ANSA
