Serie A Attempts to Save Fiscal Advantages in Peril

The Serie A teams and the governing bodies have been on high alert since the Italian government decided to modify the so-called Decreto Crescita that permits massive savings on the wages of foreigners transferring to Italy. Their protest has led to the start of a negotiation that could last up to 60 days, Calciomercato informs.

While the commission that revised the measure planned for it to be all-encompassing, not everybody within the cabinet and the majority are on the same page. Lazio president Claudio Lotito is a senator and part of it. The League and the owners are lobbying for football to be excluded from the €600k annual limitation.

Serie A has saved €130M in taxes since the inception of the benefit. Its abrupt end midway through the season would lead to significant issues for most teams. The gross wages of last summer’s newcomers would increase unexpectedly all of a sudden.

The parties might be able to set some parameters to keep things as it is, at least retroactively, and for a few select players in the future. After the initial announcement, the government backtracked and clarified it didn’t apply to sports. It might, but perhaps not entirely, at the end of the process. The original aim of the provision was to lure those who had left Italy back to the Peninsula by lowering the taxes on their salaries.