(Aug. 12, 2014) Decree-Law No. 83 of 2014, which entered into effect on July 31, 2014, establishes urgent tax, financial, and administrative measures aimed at the protection and promotion of Italy’s cultural patrimony and the national tourism industry. (Decreto-Legge 31 maggio 2014, n. 83, Disposizioni urgenti per la tutela del patrimonio culturale, lo sviluppo della cultura e il rilancio del turismo (Decree-Law No. 83 of May 31, 2014, Urgent Provisions for the Protection of the Cultural Patrimony, the Development of Culture, and the Revival of Tourism, GAZETTA UFFICIALE ([OFFICIAL GAZETTE, G.U.)] No. 125 (May 31, 2014).)
Among the tax-related initiatives is the creation of the “art-bonus” tax credit to encourage cash donations to support culture during the fiscal years 2014 through 2016. (Id. art. 1(1).) To be eligible for the tax credit, the donations must be aimed at maintenance, protection, and restoration of public cultural property and must be made to non-profit cultural institutions. (Id.) The tax credit is capped for individuals and non-commercial entities at 15% of their annual taxable income and for businesses at 0.5% of their annual revenues. (Id. art. 1(2).) The major cultural projects that are considered to be part of the Italian national cultural heritage and that benefit from the Decree-Law include: the Major Pompeii Project (Grande Progetto Pompei), the entire complex of the Palace of Caserta (Reggia di Caserta), the Parco reale, the Giardino “all’inglese,” the Oasi di San Silvestro, and the Acquedotto Carolino. (Id. art. 3(1).)
Other tax-related measures seek to:
• promote digitalization procedures in the tourism industry (id. art. 9);
• improve the quality and competitiveness of tourism facilities (id. art. 10);
• foster the establishment of start-up tourism and cultural companies (id. art. 11-bis);
• incentivize good procedures for cultural and landscaping matters (id. art. 12);
• simplify compliance with bureaucratic procedures in the tourism industry (id. art. 13);
• create a task force to identify principles and criteria for the regulation of contracts for tax-free shopping (id. art. 13-bis);
• restructure the Ministry of Cultural Property and Activities and of Tourism with the goal of revitalizing Italian museums (id. art. 14); and
• transform ENIT-Agenzia nazionale del turismo (ENIT-National Tourism Agency) into a public institution charged with the promotion of tourism and tourism services around the country (id. art. 16(1)).
In order to increase the attractiveness of tourism in the country, the Decree-Law mandates the creation of a Strategic Plan for “Major Cultural Patrimony Projects.” (Id. art. 7(1).) The Decree-Law appropriates €5 million (about US$6.7 million) for fiscal year 2014, €30 million for 2015, and €50 million for 2016 (id.), as well as additional funding for the “Thousand Young People for Culture” Fund” (id. art. 7(3)), which seeks to promote employment for young people by authorizing national and regional public cultural institutions to hire young professionals 40 years of age or younger. (Id. art. 8(1).)
Finally, the Decree-Law also includes provisions for the protection of the dignity of cultural sites, in particular of monumental complexes and other public real property subject to large amounts of cultural tourism (id. art. 4(1)); adds measures for the strengthening of lyrical symphony foundations, which are recognized to be in a neglected state (id. art. 5(1)); and provides measures to attract foreign investment in the movie and audiovisual sectors (id. art. 6(1)).