The insult: Over 716,000 people are potentially eligible for the road tax exemption in Sardinia, but the measure risks having a much more limited impact on sales agents and representatives. At the same time, diesel fuel is once again rising above the €2.30 per liter threshold, exacerbating costs for a sector that uses its car every day as a veritable work tool. This is the alarm raised by Fnaarc Confcommercio Sud Sardegna, which is calling for specific measures for sales agents and an update to a car tax system that, in some of its key parameters, remains stuck in the 1980s.

The measure approved by the Council of Ministers provides for a road tax exemption for the first vehicle with a power output of up to 80 kW for 2027, without ISEE limits. According to data released by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, 71,592 individuals in Sardinia are potentially eligible for the measure. A total of 1.2 million vehicles under the 80 kW threshold are on the island: 848,897 cars and 153,334 motorcycles . This is a very large group, but it does not automatically correspond to the beneficiaries because the benefit applies to the individual's first vehicle.

"This is certainly a measure that can save many Sardinian families money, but for sales agents, the problem remains," emphasized Giuliano Cadoni, president of Fnaarc Confcommercio Sud Sardegna . "Those of us who work in our profession travel tens of thousands of kilometers every year and need a car suited to long distances, reliable, safe, and often with features and power output superior to those of a standard small car. A threshold set at 80 kW therefore risks leaving out a significant portion of the vehicles we use daily for work."

Adding to the tax problem is the fuel problem. The progressive reduction in the excise tax discount on diesel is leading to further increases at the pump. With average diesel prices already exceeding two euros per liter, the rescheduling of the discount could push the cost above 2.30 euros per liter on the road and around 2.40 euros on the motorway, with the risk of further price increases. " For a sales representative, fuel isn't an occasional expense ," Cadoni continues. "It's a daily and unavoidable cost. An increase of even a few cents per liter, multiplied by thousands of kilometers driven each month, significantly impacts business revenue. The risk is that, on the one hand, savings are announced with the tax, but on the other, that same benefit is quickly absorbed by the rising cost of fuel." Fnaarc emphasizes the need to address automobile taxation for sales representatives and agents. Currently, for agents under the ordinary regime, the car tax deductibility is recognized at 80 percent, but on a maximum fiscally recognized cost of 25,822.84 euros.

This limit stems from the conversion of the 50 million lire established in 1986 and has never been adjusted to reflect rising car prices. Forty years, not only have car prices risen, but also the costs of fuel, insurance, maintenance, and tolls. " This is the real issue we're asking for action to address ," says Cadoni. "We can't continue to apply a limit in 2026 that was based on the price of cars in 1986. Today, with €25,000, it's difficult to buy a car with features suitable for someone who spends most of their working day on the road. For us, a car isn't a benefit or a luxury: it's the main asset of our business."

Sales agents, precisely because of the high mileage they travel, are also among the categories that need to replace their vehicles most frequently. According to Fnaarc, on average, replacement occurs every four years, a factor that further highlights the impact of the cost of a car on their professional activity. The problem also affects agents who operate under the flat-rate tax regime , for whom the increased real costs incurred for cars, fuel, and mobility are not reflected in their taxable income.

" We urge a serious discussion with the government ," Cadoni concludes, "to identify measures designed for those who actually use their car to generate income. Exemption from road tax can be positive, and excise tax measures can provide temporary relief, but they are not enough. We need to update the car deductibility cap, take into account the costs incurred by flat-rate agents, and develop a tax system consistent with the automotive market and current working conditions. In Sardinia, where distances are significant and alternatives to private transportation are often limited, this need is even more evident."

(Unioneonline/En.Ne.)

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