Lawyers from Bucharest charge that after two weeks of discussions, the government maintains its position on the introduction of the social health insurance contribution (CASS) for the liberal professions in a real, unlimited system, and announces its firm decision to use all legal measures and remedies. legal, not excluding widespread protests and even a general strike. The PNL senator, lawyer Daniel Fenechiu, also expressed his support for the point of view expressed by members of the Bucharest Bar Association.

“The Bucharest Bar – a professional organization that unites and represents the interests of more than 10,000 lawyers who have the right to practice, regrets to note that after 2 weeks of dialogue and several notes and points of view sent by UNBR and UPLR, the information which coming from the government sphere, support the hypothesis that the government maintains its stance on imposing liberal professions through CASS in a real, unrestricted system. The implementation of CASS in a real, unlimited system doubles the fiscal burden of lawyers and, in practice, authorizes work in the profession without offering anything additional in the field of compensation for the health care system,” Bucharest lawyers said in a statement, quoted by News.ro.

They inform both the Government and public opinion of the firm decision to use all steps and legal remedies against the imposition of CASS lawyers in a real, unrestricted system, not excluding widespread protests and even a general strike.

“The Bucharest Bar will firmly defend the rights and interests of lawyers and expresses the hope that reason and pragmatism will prevail in the Government’s decision,” the capital’s lawyers conclude in a press release.

The message was picked up and distributed by Liberal Senator Daniel Fenechiu, himself a lawyer.

“The Bucharest Bar will firmly represent and protect the rights and interests of lawyers! We do not rule out protest actions or even a general strike!”, Fenechiu wrote.

Moreover, on August 1, the Liberal senator wrote on Facebook about the distribution in the public space of a version of the decree that, among other things, provides that income from independent activities will be subject to the payment of the CASS quota under an unlimited article. base calculated on the basis of net profit, which could mean a significant increase in CASS, practically doubling the tax burden.

“Even if the released version is not presumptive, not discussed in the coalition, and not final, it has caused natural concern among lawyers and most liberal professionals,” he said.

On August 2, the National Union of Lawyers of Romania announced that representatives of the liberal professions are concerned about the information appearing in the public space regarding the government’s intentions to change the Fiscal Code and are publicly expressing their opposition to any increase in taxes, fees or contributions affecting them , as well as against any changes to the deduction regime.

“The position of the Union of Liberal Professions of Romania was confirmed in the meeting that the representatives of the professions held today, August 2, 2023, with Mr. Marcel-Ioan Bolosh, Minister of Public Finance, regarding the public information related to the draft emergency decree on the introduction of amendments and additions to Law 227/2015 on the Fiscal Code and other financial and fiscal measures. The abolition of the social health insurance contribution limit and the expected introduction of payment in the real system on all income without a limit, which practically doubles the fiscal burden, as well as the abolition of the deduction of the share of professional expenses within the limit of 5%, are measures that hinder the liberal professions, with consequences for the quality of the offered services and their cost. The Minister of Public Finance has shown his full openness to UPLR’s arguments by favoring a reasonable cap on social health insurance contribution,” UNBR said at the time, announcing that it would send the Union’s proposals to the Finance Minister.

And then Fenechiu stood in solidarity with representatives of liberal professions.