Italian aircraft tax...?
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Italian aircraft tax...?
So has anyone actually been to Italy since this tax was introduced?
Was thinking of going...but would probably want to stay for more than 48 hours, which is a problem even with a light single due to the tax.
Does anyone have any actual experience of this though, I mean if I fly into some small airfield (from another Schengen country so no need to come into contact with authority) and stay for a few days and then depart again is anyone really going to come out to extract money from me?
Was thinking of going...but would probably want to stay for more than 48 hours, which is a problem even with a light single due to the tax.
Does anyone have any actual experience of this though, I mean if I fly into some small airfield (from another Schengen country so no need to come into contact with authority) and stay for a few days and then depart again is anyone really going to come out to extract money from me?
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The last I have read on this, from Italian pilots, is that it is real, but nobody has yet seen implementation details.
Personally I wouldn't go because if they decide to implement it, you could get chased after "the Italian way" i.e. 6-12 months later, and then grabbed when it is least handy.
I know the Italians are not the only ones doing this but only recently I have had to deflect yet another pursuit from one Italian airport where I flew in Sep 2010, paid up all there and then, they chased the "unpaid" bills some months later (but I keep all airport receipts for > 1 year) and then more a bit later.
If you want to go to N Italy then fly to Portoroz; a great well organised place in Slovenia, and jump on the bus
Personally I wouldn't go because if they decide to implement it, you could get chased after "the Italian way" i.e. 6-12 months later, and then grabbed when it is least handy.
I know the Italians are not the only ones doing this but only recently I have had to deflect yet another pursuit from one Italian airport where I flew in Sep 2010, paid up all there and then, they chased the "unpaid" bills some months later (but I keep all airport receipts for > 1 year) and then more a bit later.
If you want to go to N Italy then fly to Portoroz; a great well organised place in Slovenia, and jump on the bus
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I mean if I fly into some small airfield (from another Schengen country so no need to come into contact with authority)
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My guess is that the airport will file a report which will then trigger the charge.
It is after all based on parking for > 48hrs on Italian soil.
How they will go about tracing the owner will be interesting.
It is after all based on parking for > 48hrs on Italian soil.
How they will go about tracing the owner will be interesting.
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From Clifford Chance:
Cheaper to visit close to expiry of CofA. 
How are non-Italian registered aircraft affected by the Tax?
Since non-Italian registered aircraft were added by way of a last minute amendment to a set of rules originally provided solely for Italian registered private aircraft, the new legislation is not properly designed to cover non-Italian registered aircraft. Absent official clarifications, the same rules for Italian registered aircraft should apply. Hence, unless an exemption applies, aircraft stationed in Italy for more than 48 consecutive hours will be subject to the Tax by reference to the period from 6 December 2011 until expiry of the certificate of airworthiness at the rate of one twelfth of the amounts referred to the above table for each month of validity of the certificate. Similarly, the Tax is due if the aircraft certificate of airworthiness is issued or renewed before 31 January 2012.
Since non-Italian registered aircraft were added by way of a last minute amendment to a set of rules originally provided solely for Italian registered private aircraft, the new legislation is not properly designed to cover non-Italian registered aircraft. Absent official clarifications, the same rules for Italian registered aircraft should apply. Hence, unless an exemption applies, aircraft stationed in Italy for more than 48 consecutive hours will be subject to the Tax by reference to the period from 6 December 2011 until expiry of the certificate of airworthiness at the rate of one twelfth of the amounts referred to the above table for each month of validity of the certificate. Similarly, the Tax is due if the aircraft certificate of airworthiness is issued or renewed before 31 January 2012.
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You are kidding, surely.
For starters, N-regs do not have an expiring CofA.
You would have to carry a release to service with you.
Whoever proposed this is totally clueless about aviation.
Thankfully I am in the fortunate position of not having the slightest interest in flying to Italy or even entering Italian airspace (anymore). One of the good things about a TB20 is that you can go anywhere in Europe, with perhaps 1 stop, without going near Italy
For starters, N-regs do not have an expiring CofA.
You would have to carry a release to service with you.
Whoever proposed this is totally clueless about aviation.
Thankfully I am in the fortunate position of not having the slightest interest in flying to Italy or even entering Italian airspace (anymore). One of the good things about a TB20 is that you can go anywhere in Europe, with perhaps 1 stop, without going near Italy
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My guess is that the airport will file a report which will then trigger the charge.
Airport police or customs is another matter entirely, easily fixed by flying within Schengen to a minor airport with neither police nor customs present.
AFAIK nobody has reported anybody where I fly regularly and no police has ever shown up asking to see the foreign plane's certificates of registration. None of our esteemed foreign guest pilots has yet paid a cent to the Italian treasury. Not a single one.
Ciao,
Dg800
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You are kidding, surely.
For starters, N-regs do not have an expiring CofA.
For starters, N-regs do not have an expiring CofA.
Italian microlights are exempt because they are not on the Italian register and AOPA Italy has asked the tax authorities to confirm that the tax does not apply to Permit to Fly aircraft, since the wording only refers to the validity of a CofA.
Unfortunately, the authorities have 6 months to respond, which could mean waiting until August.
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AfricanEagle, do you have any more information on that? Would be great news for a lot of us pilots here in Austria, who have been flying to Italy regularly. For me, Venezia Lido has been the personal spring flyout destination for years ...
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Off topic...
Who else?
To answer the question : some French airports that are GA friendly but suffer from admin problems. Peter has reported this earlier. I've had it as well. A payment reference number or a bank statement generally makes it go away.
Morale : keep all records for a year.
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AfricanEagle, as mentioned in previous post, do you have any source on that information? It sounds very promising, but we just want to know if there is actually a small glimmer of hope for short vacation trips or if one has to avoid Italy, or make <48h stays which the current proposal seems to suggest. Needless to say, it is a little annoying to say the least... 
And as Phil_Socata mentioned, spring season is coming upon us quickly and Italy is tempting...
And as Phil_Socata mentioned, spring season is coming upon us quickly and Italy is tempting...
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From IAOPA (Europe) e-newsletter:
New tax may kill Italian GA
Italy is rethinking its new general aviation tax on foreign-registered aircraft as it becomes clear it will raise far less money than expected and will damage the economy in ways that were not taken into account. This is a good time to reinforce Italy's doubts by writing to your local Italian Embassy pointing out the problems you have with the tax.
The annual tax on private aircraft is part of Italy's response to its economic crisis and supposedly hits only the rich. Unfortunately it applies to all private aircraft that stay in Italy for 48 hours or more, which makes it risky even to transit Italy; a technical problem, bad weather, or an ATC strike could saddle a pilot with a bill for thousands of euros. AOPA Italy members are preparing to shoulder a share of the burden of digging the country out from under the mountain of debt run up by the government, but IAOPA-Europe is opposed to the extension of the tax to non-Italian registrations.
The international response has been partly responsible for the decision to take a second look at the tax. The 'official' calculation says the government will make 85 million from it, but AOPA Italy has calculated the tax on the basis of the number of eligible aircraft and helicopters based in the country at 3,520,000, plus whatever can be raised from foreign-registered aircraft. Set against that the certain loss of tourism income and the picture looks very worrying. Some 10 percent of private Italian aircraft have de-registered since the tax was announced, and the requirement to pay a further 3,000 a year to keep an aircraft will drive more people out of GA.
AOPA Italy is seeking a change to make foreign aircraft pay the tax only after they have spent 90 days or more in Italy, and to have foreign aero club aircraft exempted. Domestically, they want more information on the exact tax levels for instance, its not known whether a Piper PA28 with an MTOW of 1,247kg pays the 1.5 per kg tax for the first 1,000 kg plus 2.5 for the remaining 247 kg (2,117.50) or whether it pays the 2.5 per kg set for aircraft between 1,000 and 2,000 kg on the whole MTOW (3,117.50). Are historical aircraft and microlights included? Much remains to be settled.
For Italian GA, the future looks bleak. Would you be able to continue flying if you were suddenly faced with an additional bill of more than 3,000 a year, even before you'd flown a single hour? As non-Italian pilot, you can help yourself by writing to your local Italian Embassy expressing your reluctance to visit Italy under the circumstances, and pointing out the loss of tourist revenue your absence represents. To find the address of the Italian Embassy in your country, click on this link.
Italy is rethinking its new general aviation tax on foreign-registered aircraft as it becomes clear it will raise far less money than expected and will damage the economy in ways that were not taken into account. This is a good time to reinforce Italy's doubts by writing to your local Italian Embassy pointing out the problems you have with the tax.
The annual tax on private aircraft is part of Italy's response to its economic crisis and supposedly hits only the rich. Unfortunately it applies to all private aircraft that stay in Italy for 48 hours or more, which makes it risky even to transit Italy; a technical problem, bad weather, or an ATC strike could saddle a pilot with a bill for thousands of euros. AOPA Italy members are preparing to shoulder a share of the burden of digging the country out from under the mountain of debt run up by the government, but IAOPA-Europe is opposed to the extension of the tax to non-Italian registrations.
The international response has been partly responsible for the decision to take a second look at the tax. The 'official' calculation says the government will make 85 million from it, but AOPA Italy has calculated the tax on the basis of the number of eligible aircraft and helicopters based in the country at 3,520,000, plus whatever can be raised from foreign-registered aircraft. Set against that the certain loss of tourism income and the picture looks very worrying. Some 10 percent of private Italian aircraft have de-registered since the tax was announced, and the requirement to pay a further 3,000 a year to keep an aircraft will drive more people out of GA.
AOPA Italy is seeking a change to make foreign aircraft pay the tax only after they have spent 90 days or more in Italy, and to have foreign aero club aircraft exempted. Domestically, they want more information on the exact tax levels for instance, its not known whether a Piper PA28 with an MTOW of 1,247kg pays the 1.5 per kg tax for the first 1,000 kg plus 2.5 for the remaining 247 kg (2,117.50) or whether it pays the 2.5 per kg set for aircraft between 1,000 and 2,000 kg on the whole MTOW (3,117.50). Are historical aircraft and microlights included? Much remains to be settled.
For Italian GA, the future looks bleak. Would you be able to continue flying if you were suddenly faced with an additional bill of more than 3,000 a year, even before you'd flown a single hour? As non-Italian pilot, you can help yourself by writing to your local Italian Embassy expressing your reluctance to visit Italy under the circumstances, and pointing out the loss of tourist revenue your absence represents. To find the address of the Italian Embassy in your country, click on this link.
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I've already followed their advice and written to the embassy in Vienna. The answer came surprisingly quick, but was unsurprisingly full of diplomatic nonsense asking me to take into account the dire situation of the Italian economy 
...
Nevertheless, it's sure a good idea to keep up the letter-writing campaign. What else can you do?
...Nevertheless, it's sure a good idea to keep up the letter-writing campaign. What else can you do?
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... asking me to take into account the dire situation of the Italian economy ...
...
Yes, for us foreign owners that is indeed the only thing we can do.
That does not help Italian GA however. They practically face total extinction. And that I regard as highly dangerous. There are other semi-communist governments in Europe who would love to do the same in their own countries. GA is an easy target as there is no lobby to speak of and it looks good towards elections when they can kill off "a hobby for the rich and wealthy" and "protect the environment" at the same time.
It is high time European GA gets together and starts a concentrated effort against these extinction programs of the various governments. If we do not, it will be less than a few years until there won't be anything left worth mentioning... maybe some gliders or VLA's/ULM's.
It is highly disturbing if the aviation regulations in place in the pre-1991 USSR and East Block are now taken by some as a role model for future European General aviation. State carriers and military aero clubs. Well, quite a few of EASA's German staff originates out of the GDR, where this was the modus vivendi. Do we need to say more why aviation is getting a regulative overkill?
That does not help Italian GA however. They practically face total extinction. And that I regard as highly dangerous. There are other semi-communist governments in Europe who would love to do the same in their own countries. GA is an easy target as there is no lobby to speak of and it looks good towards elections when they can kill off "a hobby for the rich and wealthy" and "protect the environment" at the same time.
It is high time European GA gets together and starts a concentrated effort against these extinction programs of the various governments. If we do not, it will be less than a few years until there won't be anything left worth mentioning... maybe some gliders or VLA's/ULM's.
It is highly disturbing if the aviation regulations in place in the pre-1991 USSR and East Block are now taken by some as a role model for future European General aviation. State carriers and military aero clubs. Well, quite a few of EASA's German staff originates out of the GDR, where this was the modus vivendi. Do we need to say more why aviation is getting a regulative overkill?
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Automated translations do not do justice to these statements, but they give a clear indication of how strongly the Italian GA community feels about the tax.
http://www.aeci.it/wp-content/upload..._29_02_121.pdf
http://www.aeci.it/wp-content/upload...ICATO-AECI.pdf
http://www.aeci.it/wp-content/upload..._29_02_121.pdf
http://www.aeci.it/wp-content/upload...ICATO-AECI.pdf