The government has put forward a new fiscal package with a direct impact on prices, property and the profits of big business. In presenting the 10 points of the Fiscal Package 2027, Edi Rama spoke of relief for families, but also warned of tougher taxation on dividends, empty apartments, coastal villas and luxury cars.
6% VAT on basic food items, with a promise of relief for families
According to the prime minister, the main measure for consumers is a reduction in the VAT rate on basic food items from 20% to 6%. Rama claimed that this move alone would leave around 150 million euros more per year in household budgets.
The government also said it would expand the practice of the “price mirror,” arguing that this would help protect the basket of goods from market abuses. It remains to be seen how the VAT cut will actually be reflected in final prices for citizens, in a market where administrative interventions have often been announced with fanfare, but the effect on store shelves has not always been clear.
Big business faces a higher dividend tax
On the business side, Rama said the corporate profit tax will remain at 15%, but the dividend tax for big business will rise from 8% to 15%. According to the official version, this is presented as a way to make taxation “fairer” and to curb tax avoidance through dividends.
A new tax threshold at a 30% rate was also announced, which Rama said is intended to close a path for evasion. At the same time, the government said the promise of zero tax on small business profits until 2029 remains in force.
Digital economy and income from social networks also in focus
Another direction of the package is linked to taxation of the digital economy. Rama declared that the time has come for a new tax system for this sector, mentioning those who, according to him, earn high incomes from online activity, including social platforms.
Concrete details on the method of implementation, the categories affected and the mechanism for collecting this tax were not made public in this presentation. This leaves open the question of whether this is a well-structured reform or a political signal that will take shape later in law.
Super tax for empty apartments, coastal villas and luxury cars
The package also affects property and high-end consumption. According to Rama, the government will impose a super tax on those who buy and keep apartments empty without renting them out, as well as a super tax on villas on the coast.
Along the same lines, a multiplied price for pool water was also announced, as well as a super tax on luxury cars. For these measures, Rama said some will be addressed in a separate law, indicating that the package still requires legal and financial breakdown to understand the real burden it will create.
New bureau under the Finance Ministry, amid promises of stronger oversight
Among the announced measures is the creation of a Specialized Bureau for income control under the Ministry of Finance. The government presents this as an instrument to strengthen oversight and formalization.
However, the establishment of a new control structure increases the need for transparency over its powers, oversight filters and guarantees against selective use. In the absence of such clarifications, the package remains for now a list of political announcements that must be tested against draft laws, costs and concrete implementation.
Rama linked the package to an optimistic picture of the economy, speaking of a budget of more than 10 billion euros, falling public debt and growth in gross national output. These are claims backed by the government with figures from financial institutions, but the real debate is expected to shift to the effect the measures will have on prices, business, the property market and the tax burden for different categories.
At this stage, what has been made public is the political framework of the Fiscal Package 2027; its full content and impact will depend on how these initiatives are turned into law.