Meloni defends raising flat-tax threshold to 100,000 euros from 2027

The threshold change

Giorgia Meloni released a new video on social media explaining a measure in the budget bill that raises the threshold of the flat-tax regime for self-employed workers. From 2027 the threshold rises to 100,000 euros for IRPEF, Italy's personal income tax. Until now, a self-employed worker whose turnover passed 85,000 euros lost the regime and its single 15% tax, and moved into the ordinary system. Meloni said that rule turned a good year into a penalty and pushed producers to hold back rather than grow. The video runs just over a minute, and the accompanying post calls the change a 'misura di buon senso', a measure of common sense. The budget bill is now being examined by the Chamber of Deputies.

Before 202785,000

From 2027100,000

Before 2027

85000 EUR

From 2027

100000 EUR

Data from the article text

The VAT question

The increase applies to income tax only. For VAT, Meloni said an agreement with the European Union is required. She added that the government is working on that agreement, so the VAT side of the measure is still open. The split means the two taxes follow separate paths, with the income-tax part written into the budget bill now under examination.

Turnover is not salary

Meloni's central argument concerns the gap between turnover and pay. She said the left confuses turnover with salary, and that a self-employed person must still deduct business costs, the contributions paid alone and taxes from the 100,000 euros. She added that self-employed workers have no paid holidays, no 13th-month salary and no severance pay, and that their protection during illness or parenthood is weaker than an employee's.

“The comparison with the employee does not hold up, because these are two completely different situations.”

The comparison with employees was the core of her reply to critics. Criticism from the opposition has focused on tax disparities, which also came up in parliamentary hearings on the budget bill.

The political exchange

Meloni set the measure against what she described as the left's view of the self-employed. She rejected the idea that some workers count for less, saying the government treats all workers alike whatever their contract.

“The truth is that for the left the self-employed are second-class workers, whereas for us all workers are equal, whatever contract they have.”

She closed by saying the government wants to support those who take risks on their own. The measure is presented as a way to reward value creation rather than penalize growth.

“We respect and want to help those who take the risk on their own to create value and do not give up.”

The budget bill remains under examination in the Chamber of Deputies, and the VAT question stays open pending talks with the EU.