Acconto
An advance payment toward tax for the current year, distinct from the balance for an earlier year. Advances are taken into account when the final liability for the relevant tax period is settled.
Read the related guide: AccontoItalian terms, explained
Italian tax & business glossary
Keep the Italian term. Understand what it means. Explore the tax, company, property and immigration vocabulary you encounter when living or doing business in Italy.
Terms found: 61
Agenzia delle Entrate
The Italian Revenue Agency administers the tax system and manages the SDI invoice platform. Receiving invoice data enables checks, but acceptance of a transmitted file is not a final tax assessment of the transaction.
Read the related guide: Agenzia delle EntrateAnagrafe
The municipal population register records residents through the local Comune. Registration matters for administration and can create a rebuttable presumption of tax residence under the applicable test, rather than conclusively settling every tax-residence question.
Read the related guide: AnagrafeAtto costitutivo
The deed that formally establishes a company and records its incorporation arrangements. For an SRL the notarial process and filing with the Business Register are central steps, alongside preparation of its governing articles.
Read the related guide: Atto costitutivoBDSR
The national accommodation database used for CIN applications, managed by Italy’s Ministry of Tourism. Applicants access the portal, check property information and follow the relevant process, including dedicated access credentials available to foreign owners.
Read the related guide: BDSRCamera di Commercio
The Chamber of Commerce is the institution associated with business registration in Italy. Commercial and artisan businesses use its Business Register route, while a professional without a registration obligation follows a different administrative path.
Capitale sociale
The share capital subscribed by a company’s shareholders through their contributions. Its payment and contribution formalities depend on the company structure and circumstances; it should not be confused with professional incorporation fees.
Read the related guide: Capitale socialeCatasto
The technical cadastral archive holding property plans, boundaries and cadastral income information. It is distinct from the public property registry where deeds are recorded, so cadastral checks and ownership-registration checks serve different purposes.
Read the related guide: CatastoCCNL
A national collective bargaining agreement used to determine employment terms in the relevant sector. It sets matters such as minimum pay, job classifications and benefits, and must be considered when preparing an employment contract.
Read the related guide: CCNLCedolare secca
An optional substitute tax applicable to qualifying rental income under the relevant conditions. Short-term rental treatment must be assessed separately from business status, and platform withholding does not necessarily settle the owner’s final tax liability.
Read the related guide: Cedolare seccaCIN
The Codice Identificativo Nazionale identifies accommodation and relevant tourist or short-term rental units in Italy. It is obtained through the national BDSR system and does not replace regional or provincial codes where those remain required.
Read the related guide: CINCodice ATECO
The classification code describing an economic activity in Italy. Selecting the appropriate code helps establish the relevant tax treatment, social security position, sector rules and any licences or authorisations required for that activity.
Read the related guide: Codice ATECOCodice destinatario
The recipient code included in an electronic invoice to identify its delivery route or an applicable conventional destination. Foreign counterparties use a distinct convention, so this field should not be copied indiscriminately between invoices.
Read the related guide: Codice destinatarioCodice fiscale
The Italian tax identification code used when dealing with authorities and completing administrative transactions. It identifies the person, not a business VAT registration, so obtaining it does not replace opening a Partita IVA.
Read the related guide: Codice fiscaleCoefficiente di redditività
The profitability coefficient used to calculate deemed income under the regime forfettario. It is applied to receipts for the relevant activity group; actual operating expenses do not replace this statutory cost allowance.
Read the related guide: Coefficiente di redditivitàCommercialista
An Italian accounting and tax professional who helps businesses with tax advice, registrations and compliance. The role complements, rather than replaces, the notary’s incorporation functions and legal advice on contracts or other specialist matters.
Read the related guide: CommercialistaComunicazione Unica
A combined electronic business registration procedure covering several administrative obligations through one filing. It can coordinate Business Register, tax and social security registrations; the procedure should not be confused with the discontinued ComUnica software.
Ditta individuale
A business carried on by an individual rather than through a separate limited company. The owner faces personal liability for business debts and generally has fewer corporate formalities than an SRL.
Read the related guide: Ditta individualeDomicilio
For Italy’s domestic tax-residence test, domicile refers to where personal and family relationships principally develop. This concept must be distinguished from a treaty’s centre of vital interests when analysing a possible dual-residence situation.
Read the related guide: DomicilioF24
The standard Italian payment form used to settle different tax obligations together. Correct taxpayer identification and the appropriate payment codes matter because each amount must be attributed to the intended obligation.
Read the related guide: F24Fattura elettronica
An electronic invoice in the structured Italian FatturaPA format, transmitted through SDI where the mandate applies. A readable PDF copy is not equivalent to the underlying XML invoice accepted by the exchange system.
Read the related guide: Fattura elettronicaFatturaPA
The structured XML format used for Italian electronic invoices. It contains supplier and customer information together with transaction details, amounts and tax codes; it is a machine-readable document rather than a visual invoice template.
Read the related guide: FatturaPAFirma digitale
A digital signature credential used in a company’s electronic administrative workflows. Alongside its certified email address, a business needs the appropriate signing access for filings rather than relying only on paper documents.
Read the related guide: Firma digitaleImposta sostitutiva
A substitute tax applied instead of the ordinary taxes covered by a particular regime. Under forfettario it is calculated on deemed income after deductible compulsory contributions, not automatically on every euro invoiced.
Read the related guide: Imposta sostitutivaIMU
The Italian municipal property tax relevant to property ownership. It is a separate ongoing tax consideration after a purchase, rather than an incorporation cost or the income tax charged on rental receipts.
Read the related guide: IMUINAIL
The Italian institution associated with insurance against workplace accidents and occupational diseases. Its insurance position is distinct from INPS social security, and employers must assess the obligations connected with their activities and workforce.
Read the related guide: INAILINPS
Italy’s central social security institution, responsible for pensions and various social benefits. Contributions depend on the worker’s category and coverage, so an employer’s payroll position differs from that of a self-employed professional.
Read the related guide: INPSINPS Gestione Separata
An INPS scheme covering, among others, self-employed professionals without a separate compulsory professional pension fund. Their contributions are income-based; the reference income for a full pension year is not a fixed minimum bill.
Read the related guide: INPS Gestione SeparataIRAP
A regional tax on productive activities, relevant to ordinary companies such as an SRL. Its statutory net production value base differs from IRES taxable profit; regional variations and sector rules require separate assessment.
Read the related guide: IRAPIRES
Italian corporate income tax applying to companies such as an SRL. It concerns taxable corporate income, which must be assessed separately from shareholder taxation and from the different tax base used for IRAP.
Read the related guide: IRESIRPEF
Italy’s personal income tax, calculated using progressive national brackets. The final liability also depends on the type of income and applicable deductions or credits, so gross income alone does not establish the tax payable.
Read the related guide: IRPEFIVA
Italy’s value added tax on taxable supplies of goods and services. The treatment depends on the transaction, customer and place of supply; charging VAT and recovering purchase VAT are separate questions.
Read the related guide: IVAIVAFE
The Italian tax associated with foreign financial assets held by Italian tax residents. It is separate from income tax on interest, dividends or gains, and its treatment depends on the type of financial asset held.
Read the related guide: IVAFEIVIE
The Italian tax on foreign real estate held by Italian tax residents. It concerns the property’s taxable value rather than rental income, so it must be distinguished from ordinary income taxation on the same asset.
Read the related guide: IVIENotaio
An Italian notary is a public official involved in formal legal transactions such as property deeds. The notary checks the legality of the transaction and handles the associated formalities and collection of transaction taxes.
Read the related guide: NotaioNulla osta
An authorisation or clearance required at a preliminary stage of certain immigration routes. It is distinct from the consular visa and subsequent residence permit, so applicants must follow the sequence for their specific route.
Read the related guide: Nulla ostaPartita IVA
An Italian identification number for business and professional activities. It identifies the operator for VAT and invoicing purposes, whereas the codice fiscale identifies the person in dealings with public authorities.
Read the related guide: Partita IVAPEC
Posta elettronica certificata is certified email used for formal business communications in Italy. It forms part of a company’s digital administration and should be distinguished from an ordinary mailbox used for everyday customer correspondence.
Read the related guide: PECPermesso di soggiorno
The residence permit associated with a non-EU citizen’s authorised stay in Italy. The permitted activity depends on the immigration route; obtaining a tax code or opening a company does not by itself establish permission to work.
Read the related guide: Permesso di soggiornoQuadro RW
The tax-return schedule associated with monitoring foreign assets and the related foreign-asset taxes. Reporting an asset and calculating tax are connected but distinct tasks, requiring examination of the taxpayer’s circumstances and applicable exceptions.
Read the related guide: Quadro RWQuestura
The local police headquarters involved in residence-permit procedures after arrival in Italy. Its role should be distinguished from the consulate handling the entry visa and from offices dealing with tax or business registrations.
Read the related guide: QuesturaRavvedimento operoso
A voluntary tax correction procedure that can reduce penalties when its conditions are met. The applicable treatment depends on the violation and correction timing; it is not a general cancellation of unpaid tax.
Read the related guide: Ravvedimento operosoREA
The Repertorio Economico Amministrativo holds economic and administrative information connected with registered businesses. Its number is assigned by the Chamber of Commerce and appears in the visura camerale alongside other company identifiers.
Regime forfettario
A simplified tax regime for eligible individuals carrying on business or professional activities. Taxable income is calculated using an activity coefficient rather than actual costs, with separate treatment for compulsory social security contributions.
Read the related guide: Regime forfettarioRegime impatriati
A tax relief regime for qualifying workers transferring tax residence to Italy. It reduces the taxable share of eligible Italian employment or professional income; it is not the forfettario regime or a general exemption for all income.
Read the related guide: Regime impatriatiRegime ordinario
The ordinary tax framework outside the forfettario regime. For individuals it generally combines progressive income tax, ordinary VAT obligations and deduction of eligible actual business expenses, rather than a fixed profitability coefficient.
Read the related guide: Regime ordinarioRegistro delle Imprese
The Italian Business Register where company incorporation documents are filed. For an SRL, registration is the step through which the company acquires legal personality, distinct from simply preparing or signing the incorporation documents.
Read the related guide: Registro delle ImpreseRendita catastale
The cadastral income value recorded for a property in the Italian cadastral archive. It is relevant to property tax calculations and should be checked through the cadastral documentation rather than inferred from the advertised sale price.
Read the related guide: Rendita catastaleResidenza fiscale
Tax residence determines a person’s position within Italy’s income tax system. Domestic residence, domicile and physical presence tests must be considered alongside relevant treaty rules; municipal registration alone should not replace that analysis.
Read the related guide: Residenza fiscaleReverse charge
A VAT mechanism also called inversione contabile, under which the buyer accounts for the tax instead of the supplier. It is relevant to qualifying cross-border transactions; deductibility still requires checking the applicable rules.
Read the related guide: Reverse chargeRogito
The final notarial deed used to complete an Italian property transaction. The buyer should distinguish this formal signing stage from earlier checks and negotiations, and arrange appropriate language or representation support where required.
Read the related guide: RogitoSaldo
The balancing payment for a completed tax period, after accounting for relevant advances and withholding. It should not be confused with an acconto, which prepays tax for the current period.
Read the related guide: SaldoScarto SDI
A rejection notice indicating that an invoice file has failed SDI checks. The sender must correct and retransmit it; a rejected file is not a valid electronic invoice for VAT purposes.
Read the related guide: Scarto SDISCIA
A business commencement notification relevant to activities requiring this administrative filing. Whether it is needed depends on the activity and applicable sector rules; company incorporation alone does not complete every operational authorisation requirement.
Read the related guide: SCIASDI
The Sistema di Interscambio is Italy’s electronic invoice exchange platform. It checks files and routes accepted invoices, but successful technical validation does not certify that the transaction’s underlying VAT treatment is substantively correct.
Read the related guide: SDISRL
A società a responsabilità limitata is an Italian limited liability company. Shareholders generally risk their subscribed contribution rather than all personal assets, although statutory exceptions and personal guarantees can create additional exposure.
Read the related guide: SRLSRLS
A simplified form of Italian limited liability company using a prescribed standard model. It is intended for individual shareholders with straightforward governance needs; the standard clauses cannot be customised like bespoke SRL articles.
Read the related guide: SRLSStatuto
A company’s articles of association, setting its governance rules and organisational arrangements. They are prepared alongside the incorporation deed and help define how the company is managed and how ownership decisions are made.
Read the related guide: StatutoSUAP
The administrative single point of contact for productive activities. Within a business registration workflow, relevant SCIA documentation may be directed to this office; the applicable requirements depend on what the business actually does.
TFR
Trattamento di fine rapporto is a statutory employment termination entitlement accrued during employment. It is a real employer cost rather than a discretionary bonus, with payment linked to the end of the employment relationship.
Read the related guide: TFRVisura camerale
An informational extract describing a registered Italian business, including its registered office, tax identifiers, legal form and governing bodies. It is not the same document as a formal chamber certificate used to certify company details.
These definitions introduce terminology; they are not personalised tax, legal or immigration advice. Eligibility and obligations depend on your circumstances. Consult a qualified professional before acting.