Politicians love when somebody thinks that revenues are closely linked to expenses. in reality, there's no such thing: everything goes in the general pool and finances everything. that perception bias allows them to impose "benevolent taxes", like...... "climate change taxes". now, every time this happens and a corresponding matching revenue is not cut in the same law...... think "money grab".

tobacco is in the far end of the Laffer curve, i.e. the more you tax, the less the government gets. Since gasoline is not yet there, Governments have a vested interest in driving individuals from driving diesel cars, since Diesel is used in close range transport. Once you ban diesel use for private self transport, you can tax gasoline on the pretext of Global Warming, and make a killing.

actually I am not "mixing up", but you are, a simple misunderstanding. Total tax rate measured on a company in Italy doing legitimate business with no political kickbacks, as measured as "what's left of sales after all costs and tax", comes out north of 50%. I may pay VAT depending on where I live since VAT is paid by the last in line, but corporate taxes depend on where I am established. Given the choice and knowing that you can net 10 million EUR before tax, and your client do not mind the country of incorporation, would you rather set up here, or in Louxembourg?

I am , but the company is not. and effective tax rate on company earnings here is 60%, while in Ireland is 12.5%, i believe. sooooo....... where does that 44% go?

I should enlighten readers on the process:

1. Italy wants to impose more taxes on its citizens;
2. at the same time, we have an election next year, so Italy does not want to tell that to citizens;
3.Internet has been used by citizens to "shop abroad" i.e. for all intents become EU citizens and get the best after tax deal;
4.since an "internet tax"covers both points, politicians love it.

in one stroke, I am taxing citizens without their knowledge (since tax comes from revenues), and I divert some of the business to national retailers, which are taxed more still. Master stroke.

Scrap it, call windows 7 professional "windows 10", and bob's your uncle. incidentally this Bob is not Microsoft Bob . It's a totally different Bob.

I'd very nuch love if Microsoft would quit unhiding the "update to windows 10 update". it's the third time this month.

"you've changed from windows 7 into THIS ?!?!?! ROFL!!"

if you take about 5 mins per claim, it would take you about two eternities.

How do you spell "single point of failure" in all EU languages?

I findi it slightly amusing and frightening that in a Democracy, the powers that be try to make you get out of your air-conditioned car, jump on a bike, and go your way to work. moreover...

no source? and the "tie" could as well be the other way around: societies/communities wealthy enough to buy bikes but not cars have passed the hunger stage and are not getting fat yet, so they live longer: alternatively, this "green fixation" positively correlates with income, so rich communities, with higher education and living standard, are more healthy, and buy and use bikes. But please, try to be rigorous about causation: this article was not. And the person involved is an "urban planner", a work description which would be rapidly out of a job without some mess. like making speed lanes for bikes, which are one of the riskier ways of moving around known to man.

Jeez, that' s talent, reminds me of the Italian forgerer who placed a 300 EUR bank note. But that was a bet, I reckon.

" my EURO bank notes are better than the official version!"
"so prove it, you clod!"

Sorry, I thought people knew about this.

And by the way, my answer to the relevant police is "officer, let me give you the password for that volume, that's where I stored my id/passwords or Gmail and Facebook, bank accounts etc."

Of course they are. the great unwashed do not see the point, and the others use some form of plausible deniability encryption.
This is the usual PHB event in which a high official misread some bad science in a hairdresser magazine, asked that something be done about it to an even more ignorant burocrat, and lo and behold, something was eventually done.
nothing to see here.

well played sir, well played.