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They flew a foreign flag but sailed permanently in Italian waters, all without the knowledge of the tax authorities. The Financial Police of the ROAN (Aeronautical Operations Department) of Vibo Valentia discovered 6 undeclared pleasure boats, with a total value of approximately 160 thousand euros.
The operation focused on combating the phenomenon of so-called “flagging out”: a real escape strategy from national registers. Many Italian boaters, in fact, choose to register their boats in foreign countries with the primary objective of reducing management and insurance costs, but also – as emerged in this case – to avoid fiscal transparency obligations.
The “Flagging Out” mechanism and the RW framework
According to the legislation on tax monitoring, citizens resident in Italy are obliged to promptly declare in the RW part of the tax return the possession of movable assets registered abroad, including boats.
Failure to indicate these assets constitutes a violation aimed at concealing the taxpayer’s real ability to pay from the tax authorities. The sanctions provided are proportional to the value of the hidden asset itself.
The investigations: from cross-referencing of data to reports
The Fiamme Gialle operation began thanks to careful intelligence and analysis. The military cross-referenced the data collected during normal checks at sea and in port areas with the details present in the databases used by the Corps.
The checks concluded with:
The finding of failure to declare for IRPEF purposes (RW framework) for a total of 159,500.00 euros.
The sending of 6 irregular reports of findings to the territorial offices of the Revenue Agency, the body that will now be responsible for disbursing the related sanctions.
The identification of a “ghost” nautical heritage attributable to Italian subjects who exploited the shield of the foreign flag to operate in total isolation from the national tax system.
Protection of legality on the coasts
This intervention is part of a broader plan by the Guardia di Finanza aimed at guaranteeing fiscal fairness and transparency, especially intensified in coastal areas with a strong tourist vocation. The coordination of the air-sea component is once again confirmed as strategic to stem tax evasion, especially in the luxury and recreational sectors.