The VAT in Italy

Greetings to my FairTax Friends from beautiful Ravello, Italy.  Why, may you ask, should you read such an e-postcard any further?  Because I now have some ammunition for those of you who argue that value-added taxes are hidden.  Having studied my sales slips from restaurants, hotels, and places of historical interest (such as the Coliseum and the Vatican [which is not Italian territory]), I have been unable to see a breakout for the VAT. Thus, Italy is different from Germany and Holland, where the VAT is clearly shown.

One hotel bill from Naples did have a disclaimer at the bottom: "not a fiscal document."  I presume that, had I requested a "fiscal document," the VAT would have appeared. The average consumer would not bother.

One of the three types of police in Italy are the "Guardia di Finanza."  Those guys drive authentic police cars, complete with sirens and flashing lights, and they go after tax evaders and drug offenders (probably for the VAT the drug dealers did not turn over to the Italian state).
Section 509 of the FairTax bill puts us in line with the Germans and the Dutch. A clear breakout of the cost of each consumer good must be displayed on its sales tape. The only exception is goods purchased in a vending machine.

I shall continue my "diligent" research until I return home on Sunday. Though I am over 3,000 miles from home, the FairTax is never far from my mind. I shall see some of you in D.C.

~Jim