Oldest Profession Isn’t One, Tax Man Says
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ROME — As far as the tax man is concerned, the oldest profession does not exist in Italy.
That was the government’s explanation in Parliament on Wednesday of why prostitutes are not taxed.
“Tax authorities cannot be bound by problems of a moral character,” said Stefano de Luca, undersecretary of finance. De Luca explained that prostitution is not a recognized profession on tax forms and therefore is not subject to taxes.
He was responding to a question from Deputy Filippo Berselli, who demanded to know why the government, always eager for new revenue, ignores prostitutes’ earnings.
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