€6bn !!

[Gardian]

I read in yesterday's DT that the Italian tax authorities have "recovered" (have they actually got their hands on the money?) this amount of money from 2,100 miscreants since a crackdown was launched just before Christmas.

Frankly it beggars belief that you can suddenly detect and recover this sort of money in such a short space of time, but if they have, then what on earth has been going on for the last umpteen years?  We shouldn't be surprised - as long as I can remember, Italy's lira has been in the **** and their economy hasn't really changed with the €.

One assumes that the law of diminishing returns will apply and that from here on, it won't be so much about recovering back tax as 'encouraging' everybody to play the game and file proper returns.  It's all relative and a drop in the ocean when compared to Italy's deficit - €1.9tn.

It really does put the concerns of many of us on here to ensure an accurate (to the €.01) and timely tax return in to context. How many of your French neighbours pay tax accurately I wonder? 

[Quillan]

I don't know about filling a tax return in properly, try filling in a tax form full stop as I doubt a few round here do.

We had a group stay for rafting this weekend, the age group was from 19 to 25 and they discussed politics and money which was quite interesting to listen to. One answer they had was that France should move to a PAYE system similar to the UK and that social charges and tax be combined in to one payment. I am unsure if they meant do away with one and increase tax's or that they both be taken at source. Apparently and it's something I have not heard about, some French economist, before the elections, had suggested to each of candidates that they should adopt such a system but the candidates were most reluctant to do anything on this issue. Their comments about retirement age, cost of pensions, too many functionaires etc was also interesting, quite different from what I hear from the age group I mix with but that's for a different thread. I have no idea how typical this lot of young French people are, they seemed to come from different areas of France but they all seemed to be singing of a similar song sheet.

Perhaps Greece should take a leaf out of the Italians book and look a ways to 'recover' some of their missing tax payments.

[Frederick]

Quillon wrote : Perhaps Greece should take a leaf out of the Italians book and look a ways to 'recover' some of their missing tax payments.

Like  puting up a building and leaving some concrete uprights  with the steel reinforcing  rods sticking out forever. Thus being able to say that its not finished so the tax is not due for payment ... How do they get away with that ?