The cash cap is ten thousand euros when they do

Raising the “cap” on payments and/or cash withdrawals from the current €2,000 at a time to €10,000 at a time. On the day of the vote of confidence in the Meloni government in the Senate, the Lega makes it known in a note that it has tabled a bill which could also materialize within the framework of the finance law, by the end of the year. year.

The first signature is that of Alberto Bagnai. Raising the cash spending cap is a “common sense proposal by the League, in line with the centre-right agenda and with other European countries. Less bureaucracy, more freedom,” the League Secretary said. the League and Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini on Facebook.He was picked up by FDI senator Giovanbattista Fazzolari, who is very close to Giorgia Meloni.

“The increase in the cash ceiling has always been part of the program of the Brothers of Italy,” he said outside the Palazzo Madama. “This is also the case in the Center-Right program. We will already do this in the first finance law. It has nothing to do with the fight against tax evasion. There is a tax break as provided for in the program. Those who have paid their taxes on time and on time will pay less and less than those who have not. Today, in Italy, the threshold for cash spending is 2,000 euros, due to an amendment to the Milleproroghe decree presented by the center-right, which had voted against the 1,000 euro limit set in January 2022 .

The League’s proposal, if implemented, would lead to a clear change in the situation. According to Senator Franco Mirabelli, vice-president of the PD group in the Senate, the initiative for a further increase in the cash ceiling “would make it more difficult to control the flow of money. And that would encourage, in addition to evasion, money laundering”. “This is a proposal that we do not share in any way, it is in total contradiction with what has been decided in recent years in Italy and in most European countries to gradually reduce the use of cash and to push traceability payments and the fight against the covered economy.”

Alberto Bagnai, member of the League. Photo Ansa / Angelo Carconi

The cash dilemma

For his part, the economic manager of the dem, Antonio Misiani, maintains that “Meloni in his programmatic declarations mentioned the fight against tax evasion among the objectives of the new government. If a good day starts in the morning, and from proposals like the Lega on cash, Italy risks going in the exact opposite direction”. A criticism of the Lega bill also comes from Italia Viva. “It’s a slogan in perfect league style,” said economic director Luigi Marattin. “If you look at the latest data from the Bank of Italy, the transition to digital payments is already underway, there is no need to decrease or increase the cash threshold. There is no need to sow chaos. Also because the limits are unfortunately already circumvented.”

What the EU says about cash

“Cash must be available”. On the ceilings in the context of the fight against money laundering “we had proposed ceilings at EU level but there are no agreements for the moment, it is up to the Member States to decide. Roofs vary a lot, ranging from 500 euros in Greece to countries that don’t have one. As a Commission, we would prefer the lowest possible ceilings”. This was said by European Commission Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis, answering a question about the League’s proposal at a press conference. “The initial EU proposal was 10,000 euros, but there are different opinions”; added Mairead McGuinnes, Commissioner for Financial Services.

European Commission Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis. Photo Ansa / Epa Julien Warnand