Trieste, 6 November 2015. – The Free Trieste Movement notified today (6.11) to the Prosecution Office of Trieste, the Regional Prosecution Office of the Court of Auditors and to all authorities involved (EZIT, Region, Commissar of the Italian Government, Prefect office, Revenue Agency, Equitalia, Municipal authorities) an «Exposé concerning the collection of undue taxes from the Ente per la Zona Industriale di Trieste – organization for the development of the industrial zone of Trieste (EZIT) and related alleged offences».
The complaint underlines that the EZIT is threatened with liquidation due to Equitalia’s enforced tax collection. The first installment collected amounts to EUR 9.3 million, out of a total amount of about 100.
The action follows the alleged evasion of the Italian Imposta sul Valore Aggiunto (IVA; Value Added Tax -VAT), however, instead of opposing the tax request, the local authorities in charge of the EZIT are making public statements about wanting to “shield” the organization’s assets from the enforced recovery.
Free Trieste considers that the EZIT doesn’t have to pay taxes to the Republic of Italy, because it is a State Corporation of the Free Territory of Trieste, currently entrusted to the Italian Government’s temporary civil administration. This means the EZIT’s administrators have the duty to oppose Equitalia’s action.
However, if they falsely consider the Free Territory as a part of Italy, all amounts must be paid, and the attempt to “shield” the EZIT’s assets from the enforced recovery constitute a tax-related criminal offense punishable with 6 months to 4 years imprisonment, and also with the interdiction from public offices (Legislative Decree No. 74/2000, articles 11 and 12).
The act and its annex, in English: Ezit-complaint(sign) – Annex-1
In italian: Ezit-esposto(firma) – Allegato-1
Free Trieste’s previous action in the EZIT’s defense: LINK
Press Office of the Free Trieste Movement