After days spent measuring out words and figures as ingredients of an increasingly complicated recipe, the 2026 Maneuver has been baked. There are 18 billion euros in the field and the menu has a bittersweet taste. The Council of Ministers has given the green light to the guidelines of the plan, drawn up by the Ministry of Economy and Finance, which brings together some old acquaintances: cuts to the Irpef for the middle class, adjustments to the ISEE, more oxygen for public health and a handful of measures for families.
During the meeting at Palazzo Chigi, Giancarlo Giorgetti confirmed that the budget plan is ready for the usual trip to Brussels, where the lukewarm reception that awaits every Italian proposal in October awaits it. The final version of the Budget Law, however, will be the subject of yet another Council of Ministers, scheduled for Friday.
Irpef cut and salary support
At the Ministry of Economy they continue to dish out the narrative of the tax reduction. The new budget law, they say, continues in the same direction: cutting the levy on income from work, with the promise not to lighten paychecks without going beyond the script of controlled austerity.
In detail, the second Irpef rate will go from 35% to 33%, with an allocation of 9 billion over the three-year period. The maximum benefit, for those with an annual income of between 28 and 50 thousand euros (the so-called average incomes), should stop at around 440 euros a year.
Alongside the adjustment of the rates, 2 billion will also arrive intended to adjust salaries to the cost of living.
New discipline for calculating the ISEE
At the Ministry of Economy they have decided to revisit the ISEE calculation, that numerical labyrinth that establishes who is entitled to what and how much must demonstrate that they cannot afford it. The new system will change the weight of the first house and recalibrate the equivalence scales.
In the version provided by the MEF, the intent is to broaden the range of subsidized benefits: the value of the main residence is excluded from the calculation, while the economic profile of a non-negligible part of families is reduced. We are talking about effects of around 500 million per year.
The provision is part of the 3.5 billion package over three years designed for the family and to combat the fight against poverty.
Family measures and bonuses confirmed
As mentioned above, in the three-year period 2026-2028 the Government has allocated 3.5 billion for family and social policies. Measures include:
- the extension of three months of parental leave to 80%;
- a social security dowry for newborns;
- confirmation of the renovation bonus – also for 2026 the deduction will be 50% for first homes and 36% for second homes;
- universal single allowance and social inclusion programs.
Healthcare, 2.4 billion more in 2026
The healthcare sector will receive an additional 2.4 billion euros in 2026, which are added to the 5 billion foreseen by the previous budget for the same year, the 5.7 billion for 2027 and the almost 7 billion earmarked for 2028.
Another 2.65 billion will be distributed between 2027 and 2028 to strengthen the hospital network and regional health services.
Pensions, hypothesis of freezing or gradual increase
The Government is considering a partial sterilization of the increase in the retirement age starting from 2027: the three-month freeze could only be applied to some groups of people, in particular to those who will turn 64 in 2027.
The measure would be aimed at protecting the most exposed categories, such as hard-working and precocious workers, and will be modulated based on the resources actually available.
Among the hypotheses also the renewal of Opzione Donna, Quota 103 and Ape Sociale.
Measures for businesses and investment incentives
4 billion euros are allocated to businesses, with incentives for investments in tangible assets and increases in the acquisition cost useful for tax depreciation.
The tax credits for the ZES and ZLS, the Nuova Sabatini and the postponement of plastic and sugar taxes to 2026 have been confirmed.
Fiscal peace and selective scrapping
The budget also includes fiscal peace for the year 2023, with the possibility of paying off debts in 108 installments spread over nine years.
The Mef has specified that the intervention for this type of scrapping will be selective, and will exclude those who have never submitted a tax return.
What will happen now
The discussion will continue in the next few days, with the usual calendar marked by more or less definitive meetings and drafts. Yet another passage is expected in the Council of Ministers on Friday, which should close the circle on the 2026 Budget Law. Once the political green light has been signed, the text will pass to the Chambers by October 20th, to start the parliamentary process.
As per the liturgy, there will be space for the ritual hearings: Bank of Italy, Court of Auditors, Parliamentary Budget Office. The technicians will speak, while the political debate will only take center stage later, when the festival of amendments begins.
The Government wants to bring the text to the vote by December, to trigger the new fiscal and social measures from January 1st.
