Armando Siri (Genoa, 10 August 1971) is an Italian politician.
A professional journalist since 1998, he worked as an editor at Mediaset and was the author of television programs. As a very young man he was an activist of the Italian Socialist Youth Federation, a personal friend and collaborator of Bettino Craxi.
In 2011 he founded and became president of the New Italy Party, with which he ran for mayor in the 2012 municipal elections in Genoa.
In 2014 he collaborated with the Federal Secretary of the Northern League, Matteo Salvini, who embraced the 15% flat tax project that he brought to the attention of the national media thanks to the international conference Single Rate.
In May 2015 he was appointed head of economics and training of the political entity Noi con Salvini.
He is the author of the bill for the introduction of the 15% flat tax, filed with the Chamber of Deputies in June 2015 by the parliamentary group of the Northern League. Siri personally worked on the flat tax with Alvin Rabushka, his ideologue together with Robert Hall. He also worked on the drafting of the law text that proposes the introduction of compulsory and paid civil service for all young adults.
In the political elections of 4 March 2018 he ran with Salvini‘s League for the Senate and was elected in the Emilia–Romagna constituency for the XVIII legislature of the Italian Republic. On 11 June he was appointed by the Council of Ministers as Undersecretary of State of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport in the Conte I government, supported by the 5 Star Movement and the League.
He is in charge of the program, coordinator of the League‘s departments and head of the party‘s School of Political Training.
In 2023, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister Matteo Salvini chose him as his consultant with the position of advisor for economic, credit and sustainable development policies.
In 2019 he published Flat tax Phase II From the taxpayer to family income Formapolis Edizioni.
The Flat Tax is a topic that arouses heated debates in Italy. It is a tax system that provides a single rate for all incomes, simplifying the tax system and reducing the tax burden. Supporters believe it could incentivize work and production, broadening the tax base and reducing tax evasion. However, critics point out that it could be contrary to the principle of tax progressivity and cause a decrease in tax revenues.
In this volume, Armando Siri explores how a single tax could respect the principle of progressivity enshrined in the Italian Constitution, putting the family as a tax unit at the center. Siri argues that this reform could be sustainable for public finances and represent a solution to revive the Italian economy.
The proposal for a 15% Flat Tax represents an ambitious step towards a broader and more homogeneous tax reform. The idea is to simplify the tax system, reduce the tax burden and encourage economic growth. However, important questions remain: how to ensure the financial sustainability of this reform and respect the principle of progressivity enshrined in the Italian Constitution?
On the one hand, there are those who highlight its potential benefits, such as the simplification of the tax system, greater transparency and incentives for the economy. On the other hand, detractors question its compatibility with the principle of progressivity enshrined in the Italian Constitution and the impact it could have on the state budget, especially in terms of reducing tax revenues.
It seems that Armando Siri has tried to address the main critical issues related to the Flat Tax, proposing a model that takes into account Italian social and fiscal peculiarities. The centrality of the family as a tax unit, together with the progressivity adapted in a single rate system, represents an interesting attempt to balance equity and tax simplification. However, details on the economic sustainability of this proposal and its impact on the public budget remain crucial.
On the one hand, this reform promises simplification and an incentive for economic growth through a reduction in taxes. On the other hand, there remains the need to explore how fundamental principles could be safeguarded, such as the sustainability of the public budget and respect for tax progressivity, ensuring that those who earn more contribute adequately.
It could be interesting to study similar models adopted in other countries and analyze their economic and social effects. In addition, a possible introduction of a Flat Tax in Italy would require an overall review of the tax system, including compensatory measures to avoid social and economic imbalances.
On the one hand, there are the promises of simplification, incentive for economic growth and support for families; on the other hand, there are still open questions such as economic sustainability, compliance with tax progressivity and the possible impact on public finances.
Siri‘s book proposes innovative solutions to address these challenges, in particular by considering the family as the central unit of the tax system and balancing progressivity within the single rate system. However, it remains essential to carefully analyze the practical application of these ideas, especially in a complex economic context such as the Italian one.