Istituting a tax on banks’ extra profits, the recent measure implemented by the Meloni government represents a new economic setback for Italians, who will have to face increases in their bank accounts. This tax imposes a 40% levy on all increased profit margins for banks in 2023 compared to the previous year.
However, this maneuver, which has also been supported by the majority of the opposition, presents several risks. One of these risks is the decision by banks to increase the costs of their customers’ bank accounts to offset any potential losses. According to Furio Truzzi, president of Assoutenti, “The government must take immediate action to prevent a measure that is just, such as taxing extra profits, from turning into a detriment to the entire community by blocking any increase in banking costs.”
This new blow to bank accounts comes after the tax on extra profits, and banks may indeed raise costs. The Bank of Italy published a report at the beginning of 2023, highlighting an increase in the management costs of bank accounts by €3.8 compared to 2022, bringing the total to €94.7 per citizen.
Although these figures refer to 2021 and take into account the average annual cost, the situation was alarming, especially because fixed expenses were increasing, such as those related to the management of payment cards. Moreover, according to ISTAT, bank charges borne by customers had already increased by 6.4%, confirming that banks had already raised fees through unilateral modifications. This action was justified by the increase in inflation.
Therefore, the tax on extra profits, which aims to provide resources for the community and ensure greater tax equity, could lead to an increase in the costs of bank accounts in the coming months.
The consumer protection association, Assoutenti, has raised the alarm, based on the already published data, revealing that the increases in banking fees related to the annual cost of managing bank accounts could rise to €105 for users. This means an increase of €10.3 per month for each user. The impact on the community could be around half a billion, as there are 47.7 million account holders in Italy.
Why are these increases feared? The reason is justified by the need to offset the losses resulting from the implementation of the tax on extra profits. For this reason, consumers have turned to the Assoutenti Association, which has called on the government to intervene to prevent another blow against citizens. The aim is to block any increase in banking expenses, and if necessary, the association is ready to resort to the Antitrust authority.
Le banche non perdono tempo: aumentano i costi sui conti correnti, allarme lanciato dalle Associazioni
Gli italiani dovranno affrontare nuovi aumenti sulle spese bancarie, a causa dell’entrata in vigore della tassa sugli extraprofitti delle banche, misura approvata dal governo Meloni. Tale imposta prevede una tassazione del 40% sui margini di profitto aumentati nel 2023 rispetto all’anno precedente. Questa decisione potrebbe portare le banche a aumentare i costi dei conti correnti dei clienti per compensare eventuali perdite. La Banca d’Italia aveva già segnalato un aumento dei costi di gestione dei conti correnti nel 2022, portandoli a 94,7 euro per cittadino. Si teme che i costi dei conti correnti possano aumentare ulteriormente, con un impatto sulla collettività di circa mezzo miliardo di euro, se consideriamo i 47,7 milioni di correntisti in Italia. L’Associazione Assoutenti ha chiesto al governo di intervenire per evitare questi aumenti, minacciando ricorso all’Antitrust.
