> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://hyperallergic.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# Italy to Offer Tax Deduction for Book Buyers
- URL: https://hyperallergic.com/italy-to-offer-tax-deduction-for-book-buyers/
- Published: 2013-12-27T17:50:10.000Z
- Updated: 2025-11-24T16:17:34.000Z
- Description: The Italian government has unveiled a master plan for attracting foreign investment, and for some reason, it includes a tax rebate for people who buy books!
- Author: Jillian Steinhauer
- Tags: News, Books, Italy, Taxes, #wp, #wp-post, #image-position-hidden, #Import 2025-11-24 06:59 (2012, 2013, part 2)

![(image via )](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/hyperallergic-newspack-s3-amazonaws-com/uploads/2013/12/4692258762_5e011036c5_z.jpg)

(image via Ryan Hyde’s Flickstream)

The Italian government has unveiled a master plan for attracting foreign investment, and for some reason, it includes a tax deduction for people who buy books! The plan, called [Destinazione Italia](http://destinazioneitalia.gov.it/english/?ref=hyperallergic.com) (Destination Italy), aims to open up Italy to the outside world and increase the competitiveness of national companies. “Italy can greatly benefit from globalisation,” [it begins](http://www.slideshare.net/Palazzo%5FChigi/destinazione-italia-english-version/?ref=hyperallergic.com).

Among many other policies, which include incentivizing the use of renewable energy and privatizing state-owned companies, the plan calls for a 19% tax deduction for those who buy books with a “user ISBN,” with an annual limit of €2,000 ($2,763). Within that, half is “for school books and college” and half “for all other publications,” according to [Agenze Giornalistica Italia](http://apocalisselaica.net/en/fuori-tema/economia/destinazione-italia-ddl-su-libri-detrazioni-19-fino-a-2000-euro?ref=hyperallergic.com). The goal is “to promote greater dissemination of reading physical books” — which is great, but it’s not entirely clear what this has to do with foreign investment and the revitalization of Italy’s economy. [TeleRead says](http://www.teleread.com/italy/italy-targets-19-percent-book-tax-rebate-to-promote-culture/?ref=hyperallergic.com) the plan discusses “using culture as a lever in a ‘diplomacy of attraction'” and includes other “pro-cultural policies such as tax credits for music and film productions.” We’ll see if and how the promotion of a physical book trade fits into that scheme, although I can’t help thinking the government might be wise to put precautions in place for [stolen books](https://hyperallergic.com/italian-library-ransacked-by-its-own-director/) first.