Italy 1990 earthquake tax refund dispute

Following the 1990 earthquake, citizens and the Sisma 90 association have been advocating for the full restitution of tax refunds owed to residents in the provinces of Syracuse, Ragusa, and Catania. While a breakthrough in December 2024 released payments to those who had submitted applications by 2010, many taxpayers remained excluded due to administrative deadlines. Lawmakers Filippo Scerra and Antonio Nicita have pushed for new legislation to reopen application deadlines, arguing that these refunds are a recognized right that should not be subject to statutes of limitations.

In response to these efforts, Luca Cannata, a deputy for Fratelli d’Italia, announced that the Meloni government has released millions of euros in refunds. Official data indicates that 240.7 million euros has been disbursed through over 101,000 individual refunds, benefiting approximately 35,093 subjects. While the majority of these refunds were paid in full, some were issued at 50%, and approximately 2.5 million euros in recognized capital remains to be liquidated.