In June, millions of Italian families paid the advance of the IMU, the municipal tax for owning buildings, with significant territorial differences that influenced what taxpayers owed. According to a report by the Uil trade union study centre, the IMU in the Sicilian capitals costs on average 1,420 euros a year, an amount which represents the fourth highest figure in Italy in relation to the per capita GDP of the island, which exceeds just under 20 thousand euros a year (7%).
The Sicilian cities with the lowest IMU – In absolute terms, several cities in Sicily are among the least expensive capitals in the country when it comes to IMU. In Messina, the tax amounts to 519 euros per year, in Caltanissetta 549 euros, in Enna 574.5 euros, in Palermo 681 euros and in Ragusa 682 euros. These figures are significantly lower than the national average.
National comparison – At a national level, Campania leads the ranking of the regions with the highest IMU, with an annual cost of 1,830 euros (9% of GDP per capita). This is followed by Sardinia (1,985 euros, 8%) and Puglia (1,600 euros, 7%). The regions where the tax is lowest include Lombardy (1,785 euros, 4%), Valle d’Aosta (1,420 euros, 3%) and Trentino Alto Adige (1,090 euros, 2%).
Regional disparities and property values - The differences in IMU costs are indicative of the different value of properties in the various Italian regions. In Southern Italy and the Islands, the average IMU costs are lower than in the North, with an average of 982 euros and 829 euros per year respectively. In the North West the average cost is 1,027 euros per year, in the North East it rises to 1,060 euros, and in the Center it stands at 1,144 euros.
Luxury Real Estate – Luxury real estate also sees significant variations in taxes. In Sicily, cities like Caltanissetta (€1,315 per year), Ragusa (€1,083 per year) and Messina (€1,018 per year) are among the least expensive provincial capitals in Italy for this category. In contrast, in cities like Grosseto (€6,828 per year), Milan (€5,966 per year) and Rome (€5,774 per year), taxes are much higher.
Request for reform – The confederal secretary of the Uil union, Vera Buonomo, stressed the need for a structural reform of the land registry to ensure fairer taxation on real estate in Italy. Buonomo highlighted that any reform should aim at a fairer redistribution of property taxes, taking into account the economic specificities of the different regions to correct existing disparities.
