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KEY POINTS: The tax changes in Italy to know about in 2023

From a proposed 'flat tax' to VAT, Italy is planning a raft of changes that you should be aware of as part of longer-term reforms. Here's a quick overview.

KEY POINTS: The tax changes in Italy to know about in 2023
Photo by ANDREAS SOLARO / AFP

The Italian government is preparing a set of major reforms to the tax system by 2027, and the first changes set to come in to force over the next two years were announced on Thursday, March 16th.

The existing tax system in Italy, which has been in place since 1971, is often criticised for being overly complex and for placing too high a tax burden on employees and businesses – one of the factors regularly blamed for Italy’s longstanding problem with sluggish economic growth.

READ ALSO: Flat tax for all? Italy announces plan to overhaul tax system

Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti has said the planned reforms will reduce this tax burden “gradually” and make investment and commercial activity in Italy “more appealing”.

Few details of the reforms were immediately given on Thursday, but here’s a look at what we know so far about the initial changes coming in 2023 and how they could affect you.

‘Flat tax’ and income tax changes

The government has confirmed it is planning changes to the way the amount of personal income tax you have to pay is calculated, and that it will push ahead with longer-term plans to bring in a so-called flat tax, which was one of the flagship promises made by the coalition of right-wing parties which took power following September’s general elections.

The coming reforms will initially reduce the number of income tax (Irpef) brackets from four to three, with the ultimate goal of a single tax rate for everyone by 2027 – when the current government’s term in office is set to end.

Irpef (Imposta sui Redditi delle Persone Fisiche) is the main income tax in Italy and applies to all employees, many self-employed workers (regular partita Iva holders, but not those on the flat tax rate) and pensioners.

This tax is the cornerstone of Italy’s fiscal system. It injected just shy of 206 billion euros into state coffers in 2022, accounting for around 38 percent of the country’s total tax revenue last year (544.5 billion euros).

The first reforms came in 2021, when the number of income tax brackets was cut from five to four to create the current system:

Current tax brackets:

   Income (annual)  Irpef rate
First bracket Up to 15,000 euros 23 percent (aliquota)
Second bracket Between 15,000 and 28,000 euros 25 percent
Third bracket Between 28,000 and 50,000 euros 35 percent
Fourth bracket Over 50,000 euros 43 percent

The coming change will reduce the number of tax brackets down to three by merging the second and third tiers into a single one.

The reforms are expected to set the three bands at 23 percent, 33 percent and 43 percent initially, and government officials have said that a more costly option under consideration would lower the second band to 27 percent.

No further details were immediately given on Thursday, and the draft outline approved by Italy’s cabinet still needs the green light from parliament and then implementation by the finance ministry.

This change means people who are currently in the second bracket will see their Irpef payments increase by two or three percent, whereas those who are now in the third bracket will benefit from a seven- or eight-percent cut.

VAT cuts

The government has also said it is looking at cuts to VAT (known as IVA in Italian) on various products – and reports suggest it could scrap it altogether on at least some essential goods.

Italy applies a standard 22-percent VAT rate to most consumer goods, and lower rates to essential items (for instance, 4 percent on bread). This can be surprising to people from countries where VAT is usually zero-rated on basic foodstuffs.

With the new tax bill, the government plans to lower rates on all consumer goods which households purchase regularly: so-called shopping cart goods.

READ ALSO: Cost of living: What are Italy’s best price comparison websites?

The government is also reportedly considering scrapping VAT on at least some essential purchases, though this was not announced on Thursday and no further details have emerged yet.

Italian consumer group Codacons estimates that scrapping the tax on essential items would save the average household up to 300 euros a year.

Photo by ANDREAS SOLARO / AFP

Lower corporation tax

Meloni’s government said it plans to cut corporation tax from the current rate of 24 percent to 15 for companies that create jobs and make investments in “innovation” – a move that was initially welcomed by business groups, who said they’re waiting for more details to come.

Tax ‘bonus’ cuts

The changes have not been costed yet, but the plan to bring in a flat tax is expected to cost the treasury around 10 billion euros.

The government says plans to recoup this sum partly by curbing many of the financial incentives currently available to Italian taxpayers.

Italy has a mind-boggling array of tax rebates and other incentives in place – over 600 in total – which collectively cost the state 165 billion euros a year. 

The 2023 tax reform is expected to cut the amounts available through these incentives, and will also mean fewer people are eligible to claim.

The government has already begun to curb some of Italy’s most popular – and costly – tax rebate schemes as of the beginning of this year; namely the building bonuses providing generous state-funded discounts on renovation work. This includes the so-called superbonus 110, which was initially cut back in January before being made almost completely unavailable in February.

EXPLAINED: Are any of Italy’s building ‘bonuses’ still available?

Ministers have not yet released any details as to which other incentives may be affected by planned cuts.

Property taxes simplified

The taxes paid when buying property in Italy are notoriously hefty, with experts often advising buyers to budget around an additional ten percent of the purchase price in order to pay the various taxes and charges involved.

While there’s no sign that these costs will be lowered anytime soon, some of them are set to be streamlined: the upcoming bill will merge stamp duties (imposte di bollo) and cadastral taxes (imposte catastali) into a single fixed-rate fee which ministers hope will somewhat simplify the process of buying a home.

The Local will report further details of the upcoming tax changes once they become available.

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TAXES

IMU: Who has to pay Italy’s property tax?

The first instalment of Italy’s main property tax IMU is due by Monday, June 17th, this year – but not all homeowners in the country have to pay it.

IMU: Who has to pay Italy’s property tax?

Italy’s main property tax, IMU (Imposta Municipale Unica, or Unified Municipal Tax) was introduced in 2012 to replace the local ICI levy.

It applies to both private and commercial property, building areas and agricultural land, and its exact amount varies by the type, value and location of the property.

IMU must be paid in two yearly instalments, with the first payment normally due by June 16th (the deadline was moved to June 17th this year as June 16th is a Sunday) and the second one due by December 16th. 

But the tax is a frequent source of confusion for homeowners in Italy as the rules on exactly which types of property it applies to have changed multiple times over the years.

Taxpayers are fully responsible for calculating and paying the amount of IMU they owe, meaning you won’t get a bill from local authorities specifying how much you need to pay for the relevant year.

Who does IMU apply to?

IMU is generally owed by owners of the following types of property:

  • Agricultural land (or terreno agricolo in Italian)
  • Building land (area fabbricabile)
  • Private houses other than the owner’s main residence (or prima casa), meaning second, third, fourth homes etc.
  • Luxury dwellings (case di lusso) falling under Italy’s cadastral categories A1 (stately homes), A8 (villas) or A9 (castles), regardless of whether they are the owner’s main residence or not.

Essentially, besides agricultural and building land owners, IMU is owed by all second-home owners in the country and owners of properties categorised as ‘luxury’ under Italy’s cadastral system.

READ ALSO: The Italian tax calendar for 2024: Which taxes are due when?

The tax doesn’t apply to main residences (prime case) but owners must be Italian residents and be registered as such under Italy’s national registry (Anagrafe) in order to qualify for this.

If you’re a foreign resident owning property in the country, you’ll have to pay IMU on it.

There are a number of IMU exemptions and discounts available to some categories of homeowners. 

These include for instance a 50-percent discount for retirees residing abroad and claiming a ‘totalised pension’ (pensione totalizzata), meaning a hybrid ‘Italian-foreign’ pension merging contributions made in Italy and those made in the foreign nation they reside in (as long as this country has pension totalisation agreements in place with Italy).

How do I calculate IMU?

Much like most other Italian taxes, calculating IMU is by no means an easy process, especially if you have little to no experience with paying it. 

That’s why it’s generally advisable to consult a chartered accountant (commercialista) who can ensure that the correct amount is paid and even arrange the transaction for you.

READ ALSO: What is an Italian commercialista and do you really need one?

That said, as a rough guide, you’ll need to take the cadastral value, or valore catastale, of your property (this is generally reported in the public deed of purchase but you can also request it at your local land registry).

Once you know the cadastral value, you must increase it by 5 percent and then multiply that number by a coefficient, which varies by the type of property you own. For instance, private residential buildings and flats have a coefficient of 160. 

Doing this will give you your property’s taxable base and from there you’ll be charged anything from 0.5 to 1.06 percent of that figure, depending on the rate (aliquota) applied by the municipality (comune) where your property is located.

How do I pay?

IMU can be paid via Italy’s standard tax form F24, which is used when paying most types of taxes in Italy, including Irpef income tax instalments.

The form can generally be found and submitted at most bank branches and post offices in the country. Some Italian banks even offer customers the option to complete and submit an F24 form directly online.

Alternatively, you can ask an Italian accountant to complete and submit the form on your behalf.

What happens if I don’t pay?

The Italian taxman shows little in the way of leniency when it comes to late filing or failure to pay IMU. 

Late filing can be punished with a fine of up to 30 percent of the IMU owed, whereas failure to pay can lead to enforced credit recovery procedures (recupero coattivo del credito) from local authorities. 

The good news here is that Italy has a procedure known as ravvedimento operoso (literally ‘active amendment’) which allows taxpayers to self-report and quickly rectify the delay in their IMU payments in exchange for significantly reduced fines.

For example, under this system, fines for late payment are reduced to 0.1 percent of the sum owed per day if the payment is made within the first 14 days from the relevant deadline.

Please note that The Local is unable to advise on individual cases. Find more information on the Italian tax office’s website or seek independent advice from a qualified tax professional.

For more information on property in Italy, check The Local’s property section.

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