One of the things that the current pandemic situation has taught us, at least here in Italy, is that every one of our purchases, needs, desires can be postponed or not. And it is not us who decide. Someone decides what it is truly indispensable and what can be postponed. But is this really right?
In Italy, a country where even a plate of spaghetti is considered a cultural element, where fashion is culture, few seem to deal with music that is considered "culture" only when it is "high culture": a classical orchestra is commonly, alas , considered more culturally relevant than a rock band, for example. And also of those who play reggaeton, although we find this more understandable.
But going beyond these distinctions, which we think start from wrong assumptions, we have finally had the evidence of what in Italy is considered culture and what is not. Music, in Italy, is not culture. Whatever people say, music is something else. It is a recreation, here. A pastime, an extravagant hobby.
A book is considered culture. Bookstores have rightly remained open, because a good reading, in addition to giving a different horizon to those who have not been able to move from home, is also a form of cognitive enhancement.
But there are those who may find that escape and that comfort in a guitar, in a ukulele or in a nice snare drum to watch on the furniture in the living room waiting to finally be able to play it. And no one can syndicate the personal priority list.
Disma Musica, our trade association, has fought for the social role of our tiny sector to be recognized, obviously together with that of those who play the instruments for a living, allowing activities like ours to remain open to the public regardless of color of our region.
However, we also think that the concept of culture has margins of subjectivity: if we intend the book as a cultural element, we must put any work by Moravia and those books from Autogrill like "How to tow a trailer while towing a milf in a pitch on the A14 ". Here, it does not seem to us that the mere fact of being printed makes them culturally relevant elements in the same way.
But something, besides the trailers, is moving.
It is these days, finally !, the news of the proposal for a bill * which has as its title “Amendments to the decree of the President of the Republic October 26, 1972, n. 633, on the subject of reduced VAT for the purchase of musical instruments and related accessories ".
In short, in short, proposes to bring the current VAT rate to 4%, instead of 22%, as is already the case for books, finally explaining the cultural nature of music and the tools to create it.
We have carefully read the bill (you can also read it by clicking here) and it seems to us a good proposal also with a view to stemming the usual "giants of the web" against which we have to fight starting from an unfavorable position: they pay taxes in which tax haven, we here, and a difference on VAT 18 percentage points, believe us, really makes a difference.
This is excellent news for our industry but above all for you amateur or professional musicians because, as we always say, if we pay less for instruments, you will pay less too.
And these days, a nice saving on the 18% wouldn't be bad at all. No?
* you will be surprised to know that among the signatories there are no parliamentarians from parties who make "culture" their flag (at least in words, it is evident) and who are in command at the Ministry for Cultural Heritage and Activities. But we still love Italy.
