Italy Bets on a Lottery to Tame Tax Evasion
New program encourages shoppers to insist on receipts, which become lottery tickets
In Italy, people make about 86% of their transactions in cash. Photo: flavio lo scalzo/Reuters By Dec. 24, 2020 7:00 am ET
ROME Italy is rolling the dice on a new attempt to stamp out tax evasion: a lottery in which only people who ask for receipts can take part.
Beginning Jan. 1, shoppers will receive a virtual ticket for each euro they spend in any store, so long as they ask for a receipt. Seven people will win 5,000 euros, equivalent to about $6,100, each week, with a top prize of €5 million at the end of next year.