Italy’s Intesa Sanpaolo is leaning toward taking advantage of a clause in a recently introduced extraordinary bank tax that allows lenders to skip payments in favor of boosting their reserves, a source with knowledge of the matter said.
Italy’s conservative government shocked markets in August by announcing a one-off 40% tax on banks’ net interest margin (NIM). She later amended the measure to allow banks to increase their reserves by an amount equal to 2.5 times the tax.
Banks’ boards of directors will decide whether to waive the tax and increase their capital reserves when approving third-quarter results.
If lenders decide to increase their reserves, they do not have to do anything, while a decision to pay the tax would result in a charge to the profit and loss account.
Intesa’s board of directors will meet on November 3 to approve third-quarter results and a possible interim dividend. The board of directors will then make a decision on the tax, but the source said the bank was inclined to use the money to increase capital.
An Intesa spokesperson did not comment.
Sources told Reuters earlier this month that Italy was at risk of receiving minimal revenue from the levy because banks can choose to set aside the money as capital reserves.
Italian Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti has said the government has not budgeted any expenditure on the proceeds of the levy, the end result of which will be to strengthen banks’ capital buffers so they can continue lending to customers.
The law does not prevent banks from leaving shareholder remuneration unchanged by distributing the additional capital through share buybacks.
However, a decision to pay the tax could harm shareholders if it affects net income and, as a result, dividends.
That would be the case for Intesa, which, as recommended by the European Central Bank, has a target for dividends as part of net income, of which it wants to pay out 70% in cash every year. (Editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise)