Repair incentives: In Sweden, those who fix cars pay lower taxes and save on VAT.

A way to discourage planned obsolescence and the waste of compulsive and unnecessary purchases. And a boost to the robust second-hand economy.

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incentives for repairs

INCENTIVES FOR REPAIRS

Reuse, repurposing, and repairing can be not only an industry, and therefore a 360-degree economic activity, from factories to artisan workshops, with their related supply chain, but can also become the points of reference, the compasses, of specific economic policy interventions. As in the case of Sweden. Where exactly the incentives to repairi, with the knock-on effects they cause, including pushing young people to start businesses and activities in this sector, thus creating jobs, have become an important part of the government and parliament's measures to shake up the economy. Don't waste, in short, as a lever for a new development model. An important change, which we hope someone will sooner or later consider for Italy, where already one in two consumers chooses to buy a used product. A change that should dismantle the underlying skepticism and ignorance of those who still consider these paradigm shifts, such as reuse, repurposing, and repairing, synonymous with poverty or even (unfortunately, obviously) degrowth.

ALSO READ: Reuse, repair, don't waste, one in two Italians chooses to recover used items

REPAIRS INCENTIVES

What has the Swedish government decided, thanks primarily to the pressure of Finance Minister Per Bolund and female public opinion? Something simple, clear, but fundamental: it's worth repairing. It reduces expenses and costs; it reduces waste; it frees the consumer from the blackmail of "it's better to buy this new"; it creates wealth and jobs..

For these reasons In Sweden, anyone who repairs an appliance, a bicycle, a suit, a dress, a pair of shoes, can access a double benefit. Pay half the VAT rate compared to the current one, that is, 12 instead of 25 percent. And, second advantage, You can deduct the repair in your tax return, thus benefiting from a tax reduction.It goes without saying that this mechanism is of general importance, as in Sweden, undeclared work and payments simply do not exist. Therefore, everything always relies on fiscal documentation.

REPAIRS INCENTIVES: THE ADVANTAGES

Returning to the significance of this extraordinary political choice, entirely inspired by the philosophy of "Do Not Waste," in addition to the economic convenience embodied in a tax reduction, there are other dividends for the citizen-consumer to reap. First: repairs, at this point, cost less. «And therefore there is a more rational and less wasteful behavior on the part of consumers who are not always forced to buy a new object, if the one they own can be repaired». Second: In the wake of this economic policy measure, a real repair industry will develop in SwedenAn industry that could generate many jobs and a great deal of wealth in the region; an industry that will be a driver of new economic growth, the kind everyone dreams of in times of stagnation. Third. Consuming better also means reducing pollutionAnd give further impetus to a path Sweden has been pursuing for some time. In the Scandinavian country, carbon dioxide emissions have dropped by 23 percent over the last 15 years, and now half of the country's energy consumption comes from renewable sources. Excuse me, but at this point, doesn't it seem to you that Sweden, under the banner of "Do Not Waste," is attempting to write a new development model? More sustainable, fairer, and more advantageous. For everyone.

CAR INSPECTION BONUS

In Italy, repair incentives are virtually nonexistent: they're of no interest to industry lobbies, which have every interest in encouraging consumers to exchange items rather than repair them, even when it's simple, possible, and convenient. The only repair incentive was the mechanic's bonus, which covered up to 50 percent of the repair cost (up to a cap of €500) in the form of a tax deduction. A €9,95 bonus for MOT inspections remains, which should offset the increase in this item of car maintenance expenditure, as required by law.

THE REPAIR AND REUSE INDUSTRY IN ITALY:

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