Tax evasion: Calabria leads the South with 18.4%

The South holds the record for the propensity to tax evasion, while the most populated regions show the highest absolute revenue loss

Tax and social security evasion continues to represent a significant challenge for Italy, with an estimated total amount of 83.6 billion euros for the year 2021, according to the Ministry of Economy and Finance. In absolute terms, the loss of revenue hits the regions with the highest concentration of economic activities the most: Lombardy records 13.6 billion euros in tax evasion, followed by Lazio with 9.1 billion, Campania with 7.8 billion and Veneto with 6.5 billion.

However, it is in the South that the greatest propensity to tax evasion is found in percentage terms. Calabria is at the top with 18.4%, followed by Campania with 17.2%, Puglia with 16.8% and Sicily with 16.5%. In stark contrast, the regions most loyal to tax include the Autonomous Province of Trento with an estimated 8.6% evasion, Lombardy with 8% and the Autonomous Province of Bolzano with 7.7%. The national average stands at 11.2%.

Analyzing the profile of taxpayers, Italy has 43.3 million taxpayers, of which over 42 million are natural persons and 1.3 million are legal entities. Among the 107 provinces monitored by the CGIA, Rome emerges with the largest number of Irpef taxpayers: 2.9 million people, made up of 1.7 million employees, 904 thousand pensioners and 64,300 subjects with income from participation. Followed by Milan with 2.4 million taxpayers, Turin and Naples with 1.6 million each, Brescia with 927,100, Bari with 828,500, Bergamo with almost 823 thousand and Bologna with 796,700.

As regards joint-stock companies, the territorial distribution shows a greater concentration in Lombardy, which hosts 259,805 companies. Followed by Lazio with 183,800, Campania with 129,300 and Veneto with almost 106,800. This complex panorama highlights the different dynamics of tax evasion between the various Italian regions, underlining the need for targeted strategies to combat this phenomenon and promote greater fiscal loyalty.