Taxes in Italy consume 44% of the GDP, the majority are on work

Together with Sweden, France and Finland we are among those with the highest levies but without their services. In the country of the IMU (housing tax) battle assets are taxed at 33.6%, a worker however at 42.3%

The percentage of taxes and social contribution compared to the GDP in Italy is among the highest in the entire EU. According to a Eurostat report on 2011 data, we are among the 7 countries which exceed 40% (the EU average is 38.8%) together with Denmark (47.7%), Sweden (44.3%), Belgium (44.1%), France (43.9%), Finland (43.4%) and Austria (42%). For us it is 42.5%; it is a shame that with our illustrious ‘taxed buddies’ we don’t share the high quality of services offered by the state.

If we look at what terms are applied to these taxes then we can see that the majority of the Italian ones fall on work. Here Rome, compared to the EU average of 35.8%, bolts to 2nd place in the classification with 42.3%, second only to Belgium (42.8%). Denmark, France, Finland and Sweden are all under 40%. Their revenue in fact originates from either taxation on assets that for example in France is 44.4% (in Italy its 33.6) or on goods, that are taxed up to 27.3% in Sweden (here its 17.4%). Percentages that should make a country like ours reflect – but too often the only family problems seem to be housing taxes.

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To learn more:
– Download the complete report from Eurostat “Taxation trends in the European Union”
– Download the chapter about Italy