Are there those who pay the Tari for others too? This year the municipal waste tax presents itself as a drain on Italians. Behind it, it's true, there are inflation, wars and energy prices. But the reason behind the super increase is called tax evasion. Italian municipalities have a hole of 7 billion euros: Tari and Imu which they are unable to collect. Not everyone pays, in fact, few pay. And so from 2018 to 2022, on average, the waste tax in the country increased by 7% (Uil data). And this year, while waiting for all the Administrations to approve the new tariffs (you have until June 30th), it is already clear that the price increases will be heavy. Not everywhere, but in a large part of the territory.
Of course, the +13.7% forecast by Arera, the regulatory authority for energy, networks and the environment, for 2024 will not be achieved. But the surge is certainly there. Some examples. In Palermo +6%, in Ancona +7.5% (for those living alone), Perugia +7%, Florence +3.2%, Padua +3.3%. In Verona the increase was 5.6%. Here an increase of 7% was avoided only by making tourists pay the Tari, i.e. by using the revenue from the tourist tax. The waste tax also rises by 3% in Rome, where a +14% was expected, which was avoided because funds from the fight against tax evasion arrived to help. In Naples there will be no increases for this year, after last year's +13% (+20% for shops). In Genoa, one of the most expensive cities in terms of Tari, a +6.8% is being considered. And then there are the small municipalities, not exempt from price increases. In Courmayeur approximately 6.8% more than last year. One of the few cities bucking the trend is Milan. The 2024 Tari increases by 3.6%, but here you have paid less since 2019 (-7% in the last two years). Same situation for Bologna, where the municipal tax remains unchanged for the ninth consecutive year
Why these increases? Municipalities must aaccelerate the recovery of inflation recent years, which has led to an increase in fixed costs. And on top of that there were wars and energy prices, which had not yet fallen to pre-Covid levels. Reasons contested by consumers, such as Codacons which defines the increases as “unjustified”, at a time when the price of energy has fallen and there is a generalized reduction in inflation. Added to this is the inefficiency in waste collection in many municipalities. Inefficiency that pays off.
But finally there is another reason behind the price increases. The escape. There are too few citizens who pay the Tari on time. Municipalities in Italy are unable to collect on average 40% of the TARI (Observatory on Italian Public Accounts of the Catholic University) and 22% of the IMU. There are 7.5 billion that do not reach the municipal coffers. Added to these are the 3 billion in uncollected traffic fines and the 500 million in other items (tourist tax, tax for the occupation of public land). The Anci (national association of Italian municipalities) speaks of a lack of personnel which therefore prevents checks and updating of data. But what catches the eye is that the TARI (like the IMU) is paid on average by six out of ten taxpayers. Too few. And will it therefore always be only those six who will pay this year's price increases?
