What the VAT?

Red tape, administrative hurdles, endless paperwork - for most people, just the thought of finance admin is enough to induce a scream. In Italy, VAT registration and management is a notoriously stressful process for small businesses and individuals alike - but a humorous new campaign for finance platform Fiscozen shows that with the right app, a more Zen-like approach is possible.

Created by independent creative agency DUDE, What the VAT? takes an unusually lighthearted approach to a serious matter - illustrating how Fiscozen soothes anxieties around the ‘Partita IVA’ (a tax code required by self-employed businesses and individuals) by streamlining the process. Through the simple-to-use app, users can find an accountant, register for a VAT number and receive tailored advice.

The campaign centres on a film featuring a young freelancer so stressed out by the VAT registration process that the mere mention of it provokes an endless, Munch-esque scream. Comically sustained through various scenes - from the ski slopes to a swimming pool to the dentist - the eternal scream only stops when a friend steps (or rather slaps) in to introduce a more serene alternative: Fiscozen.

Spanning TV, online, social and radio elements, What the VAT? is set to run in Italy until the end of 2025.