UPDATE 1-Uproar in Italy after Web publishes earning levels

(Updates with site being suspended)

By Robin Pomeroy

ROME, April 30 (Reuters) - Italians were surprised, and in some cases outraged, on Wednesday to discover their income levels were available for public viewing on an Internet site.

As part of a crack-down on tax evasion, the outgoing centre-left government made public every citizen's declared taxable income on the state's tax website, a decision attacked by consumer groups and some politicians.

Later on Wednesday the Italian Treasury suspended the website after it received a formal complaint from Italy's privacy watchdog.

In the few hours the site was operational at www.agenziaentrate.gov.it, it was overrun by Italians curious to know how much other people were earning.

Leading daily Corriere della Sera said the site was "a delicious opportunity to find out with a click how much your neighbour or colleague or, for gossip fans, celebrities earn".

"It's a clear violation of privacy law," said consumer group ADOC. "A danger for an increase in crime and violence as the data are an irresistible source for criminals."

ADOC said the fact that tax return forms do not include a request for consent to the data being published means their appearance on the Internet was clearly illegal.