From fuel vouchers for employees to a possible contribution for low-income families: help for VAT numbers is also being studied. But for now there is no bonus to claim, nor official amounts or requirements
From cutting excise duties to petrol bonuses. With fuel steadily above 2 euros per litre, the government is apparently considering the transition from a general discount on excise duties to a more targeted support, designed especially for employees, VAT numbers and families with lower incomes. At the moment, however, there is still no petrol bonus to request: these are only hypotheses being studied, without amounts, requirements or official dates.
Fuels: the current situation of economic aid
At the moment, a “bridge” extension of the reduction already in force on the price of diesel fuel is in force, approved by the Council of Ministers: the discount remains 17 cents per liter until 5 September 2026, divided between a cut in excise duty and a reduction in VAT. Petrol, however, continues to not benefit from any reduction. The cost of this short extension is around 130 million euros, partly covered by an advance on taxes paid by energy companies that recorded high revenues in 2025.
The two hypotheses on the table: corporate voucher and state support
But after the stopgap solution, the government is thinking of a more structural and selective intervention. We would be thinking along two distinct channels:
- The company fringe benefit: private employers could voluntarily grant employees a tax-free fuel voucher, on the model already tested in 2022 under the Draghi government, when the maximum ceiling was set at 200 euros. The sum would be fully deductible for businesses and would not contribute to the worker’s taxable income.
- Direct public support: for low-income families we would instead be considering a state contribution, which could be around 100 euros, paid through the Card Dedicated to you, so as to avoid complex questions and procedures for citizens. Neither of the two paths has yet been formalized: an official provision, financial coverage and definitive access criteria are missing.
Who the petrol bonus could be intended for: employees, VAT numbers and low-income households
The possible bonus would first of all concern i employed workers with low incomesin particular to those who use the car to reach work. It is not yet clear whether the access threshold will be calculated on the overall income, on the income from employment or on the ISEE of the family unit. There are three criteria that would have very different effects on the audience of beneficiaries. For self-employed workers and VAT numbersexcluded from the classic fringe benefit scheme, the government is instead thinking about an alternative mechanism: the direct purchase of the voucher from the distributors, with subsequent deduction of the expense in the tax return.
A separate chapter concerns road haulage: a tax credit of up to 70% on increased fuel expenses incurred between March and August 2026 is already active for companies in the sector, to be used as compensation via the F24 form by the end of the year.
Why is the government changing fuel strategy and what remains to be clarified
Behind the possible farewell to generalized discounts there is above all a problem of public finances: cutting excise duties for everyone costs the State a lot and also helps those with a high income. The Minister of Economy Giancarlo Giorgetti has long been pushing for selective interventions, linked to income and also attentive to road transport and logistics. There is no shortage of criticism: Codacons, for example, contests the idea of helping only certain groups, because the high cost of petrol still weighs on all motorists. At the moment, however, everything remains to be defined: amount, income thresholds, audience and disbursement methods will only arrive with an official provision, which the government has not yet launched.
