Originally Posted by A and C
We're as I know that some of the social tax is the employers responsibility, in the UK the employee has to pay part of this ( known as as National Insurance ).
My post was intended to illustrate that some pilots who want to comply with the legislation in the area are being prevented from doing so by the authorities who it would seem can't get their act together.
The EU publishes these mandates and the EU states interpret them and them into national legislation bit the legislation fails to join up across the EU and its in those gaps that Ryanair is operating.
Mr O'leary is just operating in the gaps in the EU legislation and is legal to do so and so as much as the Italians might not like it he can go on until the EU gets its act together ( don't hold your breath it seams it is only the UK that has copped on to the corrupt, self congratulating, self perpetuation and utterly ineffective bean feast that Brussels has become)
You're right, Spain actually has the same way where some ~6% of social fees are to be payed by the employee, I forgot about that.
The residency issue shouldn't be a problem however, if Spanish authorities got their act together. Much like Italy, Greece and a couple of others the internal revenue administration could have a lot to learn from certain countries farther north in terms of, relatively, effectively at least collecting and making sure different taxes are payed. I believe the Swedish "IRS" actually sent "experts" to Greece in this matter...
I fully agree with you regarding EU legislation and the interpretation of different states. As long as the EU-states are not bound together by joint fiscal systems it will continue to be a complete failure, not saying that I would like full integration...
Though, drifting slightly off topic here, can anyone confirm the above mentioned regarding Italian - Irish tax agreements and the potential tax-dodging involved?