It has been in force in Italy for some time the requirement for merchants to accept credit and debit cardshowever, everyone has been denied a transaction with these tools, giving excuses of all kinds, ranging from the classic “the point of sale is broken”and talk questionable about not wanting “give money to banksHow is it possible ? Quite simply, the law exists, but it does not provide for penalties, so traders and restaurateurs can do what they want with impunity in this regard. Inevitably, the losers are the buyers, who in some cases find themselves forced to use the money or give up the purchase. From January 1, 2022, however, the register changes.
The government changes gear: from 2022, fines will be imposed on those who do not accept card payments
On December 13, the Decree Law n.152 of 2021 relating to the implementation of the PNRR which foresees a series of changes in economic terms, including direct contributions to expenses for energy requalification, environmental sustainability and digital innovation interventions, grants travel agencies and tour operators a tax credit for costs incurred for digital development investments and activities.
An amendment has also been approved which will probably make buyers happy, since finally imposes penalties on those who refuse to accept credit or debit cards.
“From January 1, 2022, in the event of refusal to accept a payment, of any sum, made with a payment card referred to in paragraph 4, by a party obliged by virtue of the aforementioned paragraph 4, the of the same object l pecuniary administration sanction of the payment of a sum equal to 30 euros, increased by 4% of the value of the transaction whose acceptance of the payment was refused. For the sanctions relating to the violations referred to in this paragraph, the procedures and deadlines established by the law of November 24, 1981, n. 689, with the exception of article 16 concerning reduced payments. The competent authority to receive the report referred to in article 17 of the same law n. 689 of 1981 is the prefect of the province in which the violation was committed. The valuation is carried out in accordance with article 13, first and fourth paragraphs, of the aforementioned law n. 689 from 1981“
Practically, merchants who refuse to accept cards face a fine of 30 euros, to which must be added 4% of the value of the refused transaction. In short, it is an additional measure aimed at combating tax evasion, which comes on top of other measures, such as the electronic invoicing obligation. Indeed, the latter seems to have contributed to reducing tax evasion since 2019.
It’s not the first time that there has been talk of introducing fines for those who only accept cash, but this could be the right one, provided that the decree is transformed into law. Indeed, it cannot be ruled out that, as has happened in the past, there may be hiccups in these final approval stages.