Quarantine equivalent to disease: the draft of the anti-coronavirus decree

ROME – The tax machine stops to help Italy affected by the coronavirus: the investigations and foreclosures even at the disposal of the Director of the Revenue Agency Ernesto Maria Ruffini stop. The draft decree, which is expected in the Council of Ministers tomorrow morning but could also slip, provides for the suspension of VAT payments (presumably starting from that of Monday 16 March), withholding tax and INPS contributions. The first hypothesis is that the threshold to benefit from the stop is that of those who invoice less than 400 thousand euros in the field of services and 700 thousand in the field of the sale of goods. However, the objective is to guarantee liquidity for all the smallest and most affected sectors.

The quarantine periods with active surveillance or fiduciary home stay with active surveillance will be equated to the disease, certified by the attending physician. However, the draft of the new anti-Coronavirus decree places the costs of sick private workers instead of INPS and employers.

The decree also enters health and public order measures: the role of Invitalia of Arcuri is formalized to organize a supply chain of an “autarkic” nature of health, incentives will be directed to the production of masks, 4 million go to the higher health school , the prefects will be able to requisition hotels or other private healthcare facilities. A call has also been launched for the immediate hiring of 120 medical officers and 200 nurses with the rank of marshal in the ranks of the Army.

It also stops collection: to help taxpayers, but also because lines are forming in front of the “Equitalia” branches. The sending of folders and foreclosures (in addition to all the executive acts will be suspended) as the postponement of the deadlines is envisaged for those who have adhered to the amnesties for the scrapping of the ter and the balance of the balance. The decree also specifies that donations for coronavirus can be deducted from taxes, including measures on commercial rents and the enhancement of the tax credit for trade fairs.

The decree also contains the expected provisions on the work with the doubling of the cig brought to 5 billion. The exemption layoff will apply to the entire national territory and to all sectors (therefore also agriculture); wage supplementation will apply to companies with between 5 and 50 employees. The unemployment benefit will be extended for the seasonal workers not covered by the exemption cig.

Parental leave goes up to 15 additional days, alternatively the 600 euro voucher through the family booklet formula. Quarantine will be equated to disease in the private sector.

As regards the self-employed (the world of VAT numbers), without employees or with employees, the May installment of social security contributions will be suspended and the social security funds belonging to artisans and other categories will be activated.

The measures to support liquidity envisage the strengthening of the central guarantee fund, Confidi and the suspension of the mortgage installments for the integrated cash. Furthermore, the activation of the Fir, the fund for the partial indemnification of savers and the moratorium on loans (mortgages, leasing, credit openings, short-term loans falling due).