Italian Tax Break For Journalists Working At Night

by Ulrika Lomas, Tax-News.com, Hong Kong

20 December 2010

The Italian Revenue Agency has confirmed that employees of newspapers and press agencies, including their journalists, can benefit from the lower income tax rate applicable to work undertaken in unsociable hours.

In a recent resolution, the Agency gave its approval to the 10% reduced personal income tax rate being available to journalists who do such shift work. That rate was introduced as an incentive to those who increase the productivity of their employers, and, it was said, without the night work that employees such as journalists perform, the “news” from papers and press agencies would not be available.

The question had been raised by a particular newspaper company because the commitment to work shifts and unsociable hours, although it allows the timely provision of up-to-date news, is part of their printers’ national employment contract, as it is for journalists working after 11 p.m.

The tax break was originally introduced in the second half of 2008, and extended for 2009 and 2010. The lower 10% tax rate is applicable on a maximum additional income of EUR6,000 (USD8,000), for those with an annual income of less than EUR35,000.

It is sufficient, for employees to avail themselves of the reduced tax rate, that their employers make a declaration attesting to the importance of the hours worked to the productivity and organisation of their companies.

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