Good morning everyone,
I wish to thank President [of the National Council of Italian Professional Accountants] de Nuccio for the invitation and my greetings go to all the Ministers and Authorities present as well as the presidents and members of the 132 territorial associations and all the delegates attending the general assembly of Italian professional accountants in Rome today. 

I am truly sorry I was unable to attend this initiative in person, but I nevertheless wanted to send my contribution. And I am not just saying that as a matter of form (you know me and are well-acquainted with how I am); I am saying that out of the respect and esteem I have always had for you, even before I took office as President of the Council of Ministers. I didn’t miss the general assembly of Italian professional accountants for several years. I am saying that because you add value to our economic and social fabric, representing an irreplaceable point of connection between the State and citizens, between the tax authorities and households and businesses. 

Over the years, we have had several opportunities to discuss together, and I don’t think I’m wrong in saying that our dialogue has always had the same common denominator: the need to reform Italy’s tax system in order to make it fairer, simpler, more comprehensive and more rational. 
In other words, we were aligned in thinking that Italy could no longer delay a reform it had been awaiting for almost fifty years, which was precisely the tax reform. A reform was needed that would build a new relationship between the tax authorities and the taxpayers, that would reduce the tax burden and create the conditions to make Italy more attractive for businesses and investments. 

As soon as we entered office, we therefore got straight to work and quickly approved the [tax reform] enabling law which, as you know, we are rapidly implementing. 

Just a few days ago, the Council of Ministers approved the reform’s thirteenth implementing decree. Of course, much has been said and written about this measure, as is always the case for any choice this Government makes, but the truth is that this decree enables us not only to boost the purchasing power of the most vulnerable employees, but also to take a very important step forward on the path towards a simpler and more equitable tax system. Indeed this decree covers all types of income tax, from agricultural income through to miscellaneous income, and contains regulations that will make the lives of many professionals significantly easier. 

Our goal was to close the income gap between self-employed workers and businesses, creating a more straightforward and more uniform regulatory framework. This is an extremely significant step, eliminating the disparities that existed between these two income categories. 

Another key point of the decree regards supporting forms of aggregation of professional practices, following the principle of fiscal neutrality, as is already the case in the world of business. This is also an important, I would say historic, milestone, towards a more equitable tax system and a better organisation of many professional sectors.

This Government has also approved various measures over the last year and a half that aim to enhance the role of professional accountants. I am thinking, for example, of the two-year ‘concordato preventivo’ [pre-defined tax scheme] or the new framework for cooperative compliance. Professional accountants play a crucial role with regard to both these instruments, which will enable us to achieve two objectives, if we all work together and well: to change the tax authorities’ approach towards taxpayers and to simplify the regulatory framework. 

Completion of this tax reform, bringing innovation to those by Visentini and Vanoni and giving Italians a more equitable and efficient system, will also be thanks to you and thanks to your contribution. 

Cooperation between the Government, Parliament and professional accountants is generating important results in other areas too. As you know, we are a step away from reforming the legal framework governing the liability of statutory auditors. This is another long-awaited innovation that is included in a legislative proposal currently being reviewed by Parliament, and I wish to sincerely thank those who have worked on this and continue to do so. 

We are continuing in this direction in order to show that, if politics, the institutions, trade associations and the world of professions work together, they can achieve great things for the common good. So, my sincere thanks for the work we have done together so far but, above all, thank you for the work that I’m sure we will continue to do together.

I wish you all the best for this General Assembly!

[Courtesy translation]