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Italy has no prepare for new tax on business revenues, sources say

Italy has no strategies to present brand-new windfall taxes on business profits, government sources stated on Friday, rejecting press reports.

Some Italian papers reported this week that the federal government was talking about brand-new taxes on banks, insurance providers, energy business and high-end products companies.

Rumours began to spread after Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti last month hinted at possible measures on the insurance sector, urging companies that have reported healthy profits to assess a current increase in insurance coverage premiums.

Political sources stated, however, that Giorgetti would be in favour of cooperation arrangements with banks and insurers to reinvest a few of their earnings in initiatives targeted at assisting customers.

A year ago Italy's conservative federal government triggered a significant sell-off in banking shares by announcing a surprise 40% windfall tax on bank revenues driven by higher rate of interest.

The government later on backtracked and provided loan providers the alternative of increasing reserve buffers instead of paying the levy - resulting in virtually no money being raised from the windfall tax.

(source: Reuters)