We continue our interview with R. (shortened for security, privacy, anonymity, and data protection reasons), one of the super administrators of DirectDemocracyS, who is following our first case, the help_me service.
Why did you decide to help MF, by all means, with all the people, and with all the necessary groups?
Because every person who follows us—me, you, and everyone else, even those unaware of the existence of DirectDemocracyS—could have been, or currently be, or in the future be, the next victim of injustice, abuse, oppression, and in this case, outright illegality, on the part of various states, institutions, and those who work there. Anyone could be a MF, and we will follow this case like all the others, with firmness, determination, and attention to every detail, until its conclusion, which will undoubtedly be favorable to our victim.
You seem very confident about this. After all, court cases often have uncertain outcomes, and there are so many variables. Can you explain why you're so optimistic?
I'll summarize the case for you briefly, without interpretations, analyzing only the facts in chronological order.
1977 - A young girl falls in love and leaves her country to get married and start a family in her husband's country. Her country of birth and origin (Romania), under the communist dictatorship of Ceausescu, revokes her citizenship, while her husband's country (Italy) offers her citizenship immediately.
Mrs. MF lives with her husband, has two children, and has worked hard all her life, paying all her taxes, being a model citizen, with no criminal record, and above all, an excellent member of the entire community. She does this entirely in Italy, but every year, often several times a year, she returns to her hometown to visit her parents, her two sisters, and other relatives, friends, and neighbors. For each visit, she, her husband, and her two children regularly paid for their entry and residence visas in Romania (a simply shameful thing). The situation in Romania around 1980 became truly difficult, and we all know what life was like in the communist bloc countries at that time (anyone who doesn't admit it is a liar).
After retiring, following the liberation from the communist dictatorship and Romania's accession to the European Union, you decided to reclaim what was rightfully yours: Romanian citizenship, while retaining your Italian citizenship and your center of interest in Italy. You decided to establish a residence in the home of one of your children, and you planned, in the future, when you were no longer able to travel, to remain forever, and be buried, in your country of birth. You invested some money, and were still investing it, until this sad event began, to have your own room, your own bathroom, and every comfort necessary for an elderly person. With enormous sacrifice, you had saved money to install electricity in your room and bathroom.
During this period, on one of her trips to Romania, her Italian identity card expired, and with the coming years in mind, she registered with AIRE (the registry of Italians residing abroad) and renewed it. But her focus had always been on Italy, where she filed her tax return through the INCA (Italian Workers' Union) and where her pension was paid, taxed at source by INPS (the Italian pension institution). To provide her son with a safe, comfortable place to go when she could no longer travel, which would be many years from now, she had opened a current account in a Romanian bank, in euros and also in Romanian levs.
Everything seemed to be working normally until January 30, 2025, when she received a notification stating that, based on their documentation, the woman had income from abroad (Italy). Her son, who was in Romania, immediately called the Bihor County Tax Administration Agency (ANAF) to request an explanation. He was told not to worry, as he would receive further details in about a month or two. The son clearly explained: my mother has only one income, her small pension (taxed regularly and monthly by INPS). She files her tax return in Italy through the CGIL union (with INCA), and stated that this was based on the bilateral agreements between Romania and Italy, which provide for the avoidance of double taxation.
The woman on the phone reassures him that in that case, the woman is in order and will never have to pay anything. The son, of course, reassures his mother, telling her not to worry, that everything is in order.
On February 27, 2025, a notification arrives, specifying that it has been decided that the lady will have to pay 3947 lei in taxes to the Romanian state.
The desperate woman appoints her son as her representative and sends him to the Bihor National Food Authority to seek an explanation. There, one of the cashiers says, "You know, kid, you better pay up, it's better for you."
The boy says that since he has already paid in Italy, Romania has no right to ask for even a cent.
At an office, he is told that he must prove his tax residency in Italy and bring this declaration, certified in translation, along with all the evidence that he has filed tax returns in Italy and paid taxes through monthly INPS deductions.
As soon as the son arrives home, he downloads, prepares, and sends all the pension slips for 2018 (but in the future, if not resolved, the same problems will arise for 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, and next year for 2025).
By submitting proof of taxation to Italy, MF has clearly demonstrated its compliance and invited the two countries to clarify any differences between them, without complicating the lives of honest citizens who respect the law and incurring unnecessary translation costs and travel to obtain documents, which are then denied, even mocking it (sent among various officials).
At this point, the situation becomes both comical and tragic. The Revenue Agency is refusing to grant tax residency in Italy, despite knowing that the woman declares her income regularly every year and pays all taxes in Italy. Indeed, the officials contacted, between Bologna and Imola, sent their responses, forgetting to remove some private comments from the various emails. In one (which I clearly saw), one of the two Italian officials says to the other: "Let's see what she says now." It's as if to say, "We've silenced this mean girl, who expects us to do our job, for which we are paid, partly with her money, with her taxes." Their reasoning: she is registered with AIRE, therefore not resident in Italy. MF has never asked to lose her tax residency in Italy (there is no official request from her to that effect), where she has her interests, half of her relatives, many friends, and, most importantly, her husband's grave.
But not only that, he never requested, and never obtained, tax residency in Romania.
Therefore, according to the Italian government and the Italian Revenue Agency, the woman is not a tax resident in Italy, but she must still file an Italian tax return (INPS notifies her every year to do so), and INCA CGIL (which receives authorization to do so every year) must continue to pay taxes in Italy.
At this point, any normal person will ask: do both countries require tax returns and tax money? And the bilateral treaties, approved by the parliaments of both countries and signed by the two Presidents of the Republic, have been cancelled, no longer exist, and are no longer valid—those famous laws to avoid double taxation between Italy and Romania?
The real injustice and illegality occurred on Saturday, July 12, 2025, when Mrs. MF logged into her online bank account and saw that all her Romanian lei money had been seized, as well as about half of her euro money (which she had set aside to install electricity in her future bedroom, her future bathroom, and the hallway leading to it).
For those who read the previous section, which notified her that she owed 3,947 lei, we must explain that they charged her commissions, interest, and other fees on that money, amounting to another 2,451 lei; therefore, they charged her almost double what she claimed she owed.
In practice, MF should pay 25% in taxes in Italy, plus another 25% (presumed taxes plus interest) in Romania. From a small pension, slightly above the minimum pension, these two countries are taking more than half of the money. And this is because they don't communicate with each other, but instead demand that a poor elderly person have to go around finding documents, getting translations, and legalizations, so as not to be robbed by two greedy states and institutions with completely incompetent and heartless staff.
The MF representative contacted the ANAF Bihor office by phone to obtain official explanations and detailed documentation. He spoke with four different people, but never with the person who handled this whole unpleasant situation and ordered the seizure of the funds , despite having proof that he had already paid taxes in Italy (because the person who was supposed to pass the money to him on the phone stated that he didn't know the details of the case). It's strange that a person would sign documents to request payments and order the seizure of funds from bank accounts without knowing the details of the case, but we'll ask him about it at the right time, hoping he'll learn more about the matter. The last person she spoke to became resentful and threatened to hang up when the woman's son, her official representative, dared to preface the situation by saying, "I'm only taking up a minute of your precious time, since you are also paid with our tax dollars." I see nothing wrong, inaccurate, or rude in telling the truth. The State represents its citizens, its institutions, and those who work there. They exist to assist and help citizens, since they exist and are paid with public money, the money of all citizens. To end the call, when explicitly asked for an explanation, to resolve the situation immediately, her only solution was: sue us and take us to court. If that's the only solution, we'll have to do it, and we won't be satisfied with just getting Mrs. MF a full refund, but at least double, and from both countries.
Despite bilateral agreements, Romania violated the law by demanding undue documents and funds, and above all by seizing funds without formal, personally signed notification. Despite having evidence that the woman had been taxed in Italy on the sums claimed, Romania even applied penalties and fees.
Italy is no less guilty for not having directly informed Romania that the woman had declared her income and paid all taxes regularly in Italy, from the day she retired until today. It should have "helped" Romania avoid committing this illegality, especially since the woman had repeatedly requested assistance from the Italian authorities in various ways.
I have been to Romania, and I have seen the real situation with my own eyes, I have checked all the declarations, all the documents, and all the various communications between the lady, her representative, and all the institutions, and the people who work there.
How can we judge the behavior of Italy and Romania in this specific case?
Ethically and morally reprehensible, and reprehensible, on the part of almost everyone involved in the various institutions: the Romanian National Agency for Financial Assistance (ANAF) and the Italian Revenue Agency, among others. The Romanians knowingly violated the law by requiring the woman to pay taxes in two countries for the same pension, for the same period. We will continue to follow the matter wherever necessary, in every legal way, for as long as necessary, and will keep you informed.