Continuity and Innovations in Tax Reform

The 1964 project of tax reform belongs to a long tradition of attempts to reform the general tax system, started by Scialoja (1866) and continued with the Finance Ministers Meda (1916-19), De Stefani (1922-23), Thaon di Revel (1935- 43), Vanoni (1948-54), resuming principles of the Italian Science of Finance, and taking full account of foreign experiments and new ideas. It appears as a combination of traditional and innovative ideas, coordinating proposals and solutions to be presented to government and to parliament for a complete restructuring of the tax system in Italy, in order to adapt it to the needs of economic planning for economic policy in the 60s. The unique personal progressive income tax, a tax on corporation income, a general tax on consumption structured as a value added tax, a general wealth tax are the cornerstones of the new system. A radical reform of tax administration is considered necessary to effectively manage the system emerging from the new tax design. The project articulates arguments for and against alternative solutions in a work of theoretical reconstruction of a coordinated and efficient system with the ambition to replace an aging and blocked system, unable to adapt to the needs of the contemporary economy. The quality of the 1964 tax design stands out from a critical examination, also in historical perspective, of old and new ideas that contribute to structure the theoretical setting and arguments.