ITALY, May 28, 2014 (Lettera 43, summarized from the original Italian): The 8xmille (literally, “eight per thousand”) initiative in Italy is a mechanism by which the taxpayer directs a small percentage of their income tax (0.8%) to 11 recognized religious denominations or the state. There are check-off boxes at the bottom of the tax form to allow the taxpayer to designate their preferred recipient. Of the funds raised by this initiative in in 2011, 87%, US$1.4 billion. The Italian government itself gets a major part of what remains for humanitarian work. The other ten recognized groups (which includes the Italian Hindu Union), are eligible to receive a portion of the remaining 8Xmille funds. This is the first year Buddhists and Hindus are among the recipient and it is not yet known how much each will receive.
