December 29, (THEWILL) – The Italian government has decided not to extend a controversial tax relief measure that had benefited high-earning foreign footballers playing in Serie A. The tax break allowed foreign players to only pay tax on half their income for their first 5 years in Italy.
The president of the Italian Footballers’ Association (AIC), Umberto Calcagno, welcomed the decision to end the tax relief. In a statement on Friday, he said that Italian and overseas players can now “compete on the same level”. Calcagno thanked the government for removing what he called an unfair penalty on domestic football.
The tax break had been opposed by Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini of the anti-immigration League party. League parliamentarian Lucca Toccalini said that tax discounts for millionaire foreign players were “immoral”. The government decision comes after lobbying from Serie A clubs to maintain the relief.
Serie A has expressed concern that removing the tax incentive will reduce the global competitiveness and incomes of Italian teams. This could mean lower resources for developing homegrown talent and less tax revenue overall.
However, ending foreign player tax breaks delivers on a populist campaign promise. The move suggests immigration and fairness are priorities for the new Italian government over boosting Serie A club finances.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
