Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni Announces Abolition of Road Tax for Millions of Vehicles

The Italian government has announced plans to eliminate road tax for 14.5 million motorcycles and cars starting next year. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni described the move as the removal of a tax widely disliked by the public, framing it as a continuation of her administration’s broader tax-cutting agenda.

The exemption is set to apply to all motorcycles and more than 70% of small- and medium-sized cars. Under the terms of the proposal, citizens will be limited to claiming the benefit for only one properly insured vehicle. A draft decree indicates the policy will specifically target vehicles with a maximum power output of 80 kilowatts.

The measure is currently structured as a one-off exemption for 2027, with an estimated cost to the state of approximately €2.36 billion. Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti stated that the government intends to explore options to make the tax relief permanent in the future.

This policy shift arrives as the conservative coalition government seeks to bolster its public support ahead of the national election scheduled for 2027. Recent polling indicates that the current coalition is trailing behind the centre-left.

In addition to competition from the centre-left, the government is facing political pressure from a new far-right party, National Future. Led by former general Roberto Vannacci, the party has been steadily gaining ground in the political landscape, prompting the government to pursue measures that align with its established platform of fiscal relief.