IVA - VAT - 1st October - changes - watch out!!

September 26, 2006 · Filed Under Work · Comment

Luckily I have an excellent commercialista - accountant. She does not speak English, but my Italian is good enough to allow me to chat to her about tax and other financial issues. She rang me up today to tell me about a slight revision to the law with regard to the settlement of IVA/VAT and other taxes. From the 1st October this year, 2006, it will no longer be possible to fill in an F24 form by hand and wander along to your bank to ask them to process the thing. Oh no. From the 1st October F24s can only be paid by those registered for IVA in two ways: via a home banking system and or by your accountant.

I already use a home banking system and I already pay my F24s on-line, which is just as well. After the 1st October, the only other option will be to instruct an accountant, if you have one, to do it for you, and they will charge you for this service. The charge, I have been advised, may be between 5 and 10 Euros per payment, although it may well be much more, but there is no alternative. There is more. Any on-line payment has to be made from a bank account in your name, or a joint account, but only if you are legally married, otherwise the tax people will state that you have not paid and you will find yourself having to pay a nice fine.

It is just as well that I’m quite computer literate and have a good connection to the Internet, but I pity for all those, mainly, shop owners who do not have a computer or an Internet connection (I frightened our local laundry shop owner by passing on this news (I don’t know who her accountant is, but he or she is not as good a mine)). The over 55s (and not only) are going to have a lot of fun learning about pcs and the www or have to pay their accountants to settle their tax bills.

This ’silent but deadly’ reform is not going to be that popular I feel. We shall see how long it lasts before the wise people in government make an about turn and re-introduce the old ‘go-to-your bank’ system……

Change in Italy is generally slow, but not in this case and if there are not problems, it will be a great surprise to this here blogger from Milan, Italy.

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Tags: Italian, Italy

Italian TV again

September 26, 2006 · Filed Under Italian TV · Comment

A while back I wrote this . Have I changed my opinion - which was quite well justified by the info in my previous post IMHO? In a word, no. The telly is still 90% rubbish. I thought I’d make a few more observations on this subject.

You could say Italian TV is great if you happen to like endless crime and police shows, some of which are quite good, but you just tend to get turned off when you hear that the newest TV show is yet another police/crime drama or CSI copy (I think CSI was the first of its genre). On Italian TV you can see English cops, French cops, German cops, US cops and, of course, Italian cops. You may also rave about Italian TV if you happen to love reality shows because there are lots of these sad programmes. You may also sing the praise of Italian TV if you like quiz shows, for there are plenty of this blasted shows (my other half used to be addicted until I took the mickey out of her for her lack of general knowledge, that is. Naughty me). You may declare your undying love for Italian TV if you love to see programmes about Italy, which, in actual fact, are not bad, it’s just that they all have the same stuffy format and are presented by one old geezer and his twenty something beautiful female side-kick. You might be knocked out with appreciation if you have fallen in love with the day-time chat shows, which are as shallow as a puddle and full of presenters with the sincerity of a second hand car salesman and one gets the impression they are only there because they could not find places on evening programmes. Then again you may get your kicks from the fact that you find the endless stream of commercials useful, though I doubt it.

The 10% of telly which might just persuade you not to switch the darned thing off occurs after 11 in the evening and may last until one in the morning. This 10% for the intelligent includes some interesting documentaries and chat shows, although I wonder just how many people are still in front of the TV at this time.

Yes, Italian TV has been dumbed down. It could get dumber, possibly. I wonder whether viewer figures are continuing to fall as I reported in my original post on the subject. I imagine so, or rather I hope so.

However, one does need to be a little bit kinder to the broadcasters, after all it’s just not worthwhile investing all that ad income in some decent programmes because, unlike the US and the UK, there is no real market for Italian language TV shows overseas. It’s a shame Italians have to suffer for this though.

Do I watch a lot of TV? Yes, but I try not to. I get in trouble if I sneak off to my pc to surf the www. I’m anti-social, so I’m told. The thought that TV is anti-social does not seem to cross someone’s ‘TV addled’ mind…… Oh dear, Oh dear oh dear.

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Tags: Italian, Italy

Agri-fever

September 26, 2006 · Filed Under Italy · Comment

You may or may not know what ‘agri-turismo’ is. On the assumption that you do not, I’ll try and explain. Agri-turismo is an Italian expression which refers to what is basically a farmhouse hotel, almost. Sometimes these places form part of a farm, other times enterprising individuals have bought up old and dilapidated country premises and transformed them into an agri-turismo ‘hotel’, for want of a better word. The are really just a type of hotel. A fashionable type of hotel. Why are they fashionable? I think it’s because the are usually located in some quiet country area and so prove very popular with Italian city dwellers looking for some way of escaping from the noise and chaos of the city. Then there is the fact that all of these agri-turismo places have a restaurant which specializes in regional dishes or just does its own thing. Good wine is also available too. Many Italians frequent these places, mainly during the August holiday month, but also throughout the year because they represent an alternative to going to the same old country or mountain house over and over again (tough life in Italy, I know..). In fact, some Italians are waking up to the fact that the cost of buying/running a second house often equals or exceeds the cost of several good family holidays a year, and, as I said before going to the same old place year in year out may just become a little samey.

The cost of staying at an agri-turismo is, from what I understand, quite variable, but they generally attempt to stay on the side of affordable for most people. Have I ever been to one of these places? Nope, not yet. Our in-laws place in the country is fine by me every so often. I should add that my other half’s hate of the country means that she does not find agri-turismos attractive, which is also why we have not stayed in one of these places. Not having a car anymore makes things a little difficult too, although we could always hire one.

Now, these places exist and they are all over rural Italy and by accounts they are doing quite well, as long as they do what they do quite well. Customers tend to spread the word, although the web and magazines do their bit too.

Well, a couple of friends of mine, one from the noisy city of Milan, the other from Genova have been going on about buying an old place, doing it up and, guess what, opening an agri-turismo. While both of these chaps know each other, they came up with their little agri-plans all on their ownsomes. And they are not alone. Many others seem to want to get away from the daily grind and do something literally more down to earth. Those in the UK may be reminded of the ‘Good Life’, if you are old enough.

Me? I quite like the idea, I’m a country boy after all. Will it happen? I not going to hold my breath.

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