TRIESTE – The main road-haulage associations are taking a united stand against Article 26 of the 2026 Budget Law, which prohibits companies from offsetting tax credits with social-security and welfare contributions.
A measure that, if applied also to excise-duty refunds on professional diesel, risks bringing an entire sector to its knees, already burdened by high costs and thin margins. Five associations, one request: scrap or fix the rule which, in the name of tighter fiscal oversight, could paralyse the main artery of Italian logistics.
Confartigianato Trasporti, through its president Amedeo Genedani, calls it «an unforgivable mistake» that would trigger severe cash-flow stress for companies. «The ban on offsetting the excise-duty refund», he says, «would force liquidity outflows and cause economic and financial damage, undermining planning and the ability to meet ordinary payments». The association is calling for an immediate revision during the approval of the budget plan.
Along the same lines, Trasportounito, whose coordinator is Giuseppe Tagnochetti, warns that the entire road-transport system «could collapse, dragging the country’s economy into the abyss». According to the association, the block on offsets would prevent companies from using credits as an immediate liquidity buffer, slowing cash flows and forcing many firms to scale back activity or take on more debt.
ANITA, part of Confindustria, also joins the appeal. President Riccardo Morelli describes the measure’s impact as “disruptive”: «A rule of this kind would jeopardise companies’ financial equilibrium, undermining a fundamental tool such as the excise-duty refund. Action is needed immediately to abolish it».
Sharp criticism also comes from FIAP. Secretary-general Alessandro Peron stresses that the measure, intended to combat fraud, «would end up penalising honest companies». FIAP argues that excise-duty credits must be excluded from the ban or that an automatic refund within 30 days must be introduced to prevent the rule from «slowing down transport, logistics and the country’s economy».
Finally, ASSOTIR openly calls it a “tax bomb”. Secretary-general Claudio Donati asks for urgent clarification on the content of Article 26, which «lends itself to the most unfavourable interpretation for hauliers». According to Donati, abolishing offsetting «would wipe out the most effective liquidity-management tool for companies», putting thousands of operators at risk of default. National president Anna Vita Manigrasso warns that, absent changes, «strong response initiatives cannot be ruled out, including a general suspension of service».
