Registration and cadastral taxes
The seller determines which tax system applies. Buying an existing property from a private seller generally triggers registration tax calculated on cadastral value, while a new build bought from a developer generally triggers VAT on the full sale price; the buyer pays one system or the other, not both. For a private seller, the property guide gives 2% of cadastral value for a primary residence, 9% for a second or holiday home and 9% for luxury categories A/1, A/8 and A/9. Mortgage and cadastral taxes are each fixed at €50 in that private-sale case. For a developer sale, the guide gives VAT of 4% for a primary residence, 10% for a second home and 22% for a luxury property; registration, mortgage and cadastral taxes are each fixed at €200. The cadastral value can differ substantially from the market price, while notary, agent and translation costs are budgeted separately. Confirm classification, seller status and primary-home conditions before signing.
IMU and other annual taxes
Ownership continues to generate municipal costs after the deed. IMU generally applies to second homes and non-primary residences; a primary residence is generally exempt, subject to the property's classification and the applicable municipal rules. The tax is calculated from cadastral value and the municipality's rate, then normally paid in two instalments, usually in June and December. TARI is the waste-collection tax and can apply even when a property is occupied only part of the year, subject to the municipality's declaration rules. Apartments also carry condominium charges for shared services and maintenance; the property guide estimates roughly €200-€1,000 per year depending on the building. A short-term rental owner must keep IMU separate from rental-income tax: the cedolare guide describes them as independent calculations and payments. Check the relevant comune resolution each year rather than importing a rate from another city, especially for a non-resident property portfolio.
Mortgages for non-residents
Non-resident lending is possible, but the offer depends on residency, income source, property type, lender and loan amount. The mortgage guide reports typical loan-to-value ranges of 70-80% for residents with Italian income, 60-70% for non-residents with Italian income and 50-60% for non-residents with foreign income. A buyer whose income is entirely foreign-sourced should therefore plan a 40-50% down payment rather than relying on a generic headline. Banks commonly request a codice fiscale, preliminary agreement, payslips or business accounts, tax returns, six-to-twelve months of bank statements, a foreign credit report and property documentation. Dedicated desks include Intesa Sanpaolo, UniCredit, Mediobanca, BNL, Monte dei Paschi and Banco BPM. Non-residents do not receive the Italian 19% mortgage-interest deduction reserved for residents' primary homes. Loan terms, rates and minimums are lender-specific, so obtain a preliminary assessment before committing to a binding agreement.
Short-term rentals and the CIN code
A property used for short-term letting has a compliance layer beyond the purchase deed. The national identification code must be obtained and displayed in every listing, including platforms such as Airbnb and Booking. The owner may also need a SCIA filed with the Comune, collection and reporting of the local tourist tax, and the local safety or guest-reporting steps applicable to the property. For tax year 2026, the cedolare guide states that the private short-let regime covers no more than two apartments; a third apartment creates the statutory presumption of business activity, so cedolare secca is unavailable and a Partita IVA and business-accounting analysis are required. The same guide separates rental-income tax from IMU: cedolare secca is calculated on guest income, while IMU remains a municipal property tax. A non-resident normally reports Italian-source property income through the appropriate Modello Redditi PF and should not copy future form rows without checking the released instructions.
Buying personally vs. through an SRL
Personal ownership is usually simpler for a home or occasional second property: the buyer can access the relevant primary-residence rules and avoids creating a separate company. An SRL can be considered for a rental portfolio or an operating property where separate accounting, liability management and reinvestment matter, but it brings formation, accounting, banking and corporate-tax obligations. The corporate-tax guide sets IRES at 24% and standard IRAP at 3.9% for ordinary companies, with an effective service-SRL range of 27-31%; those rates are not a substitute for modelling rental income, financing and distributions. The purchase guide also makes clear that a home does not itself grant a residence permit, and the investor-visa article confirms that Italian property is not a qualifying Investor Visa investment. For a non-resident, compare registration tax or VAT, annual IMU and TARI, financing, rental administration, withholding and eventual disposal before choosing the ownership vehicle.
Can a foreigner buy and what reciprocity means
EU and EEA citizens can buy Italian property without special authorisation. Non-EU citizens legally resident in Italy can generally buy with proof of their lawful stay. A non-EU person who is not resident must pass the reciprocity condition in Article 16 of the Preliminary Provisions to the Civil Code: the buyer's home country must grant Italian citizens a comparable ability to purchase. The property guide identifies US, UK and Australian citizens as able to buy in practice, while Canadian cases may need careful review and Swiss buyers can face limitations connected with Swiss second-home rules. Reciprocity is a legal analysis, not a box to tick after an offer. Ask an Italian lawyer to confirm it before paying a binding deposit, and obtain the codice fiscale first because it is required before a binding contract. Buying property does not confer a residence permit; immigration planning must use a separate route.
Offer, due diligence and the notarial deed
The purchase sequence has three protective stages. First obtain the free codice fiscale through the Agenzia delle Entrate or an Italian consulate. Then submit a written offer and, if accepted, sign the preliminary agreement (compromesso), which is binding and normally requires a deposit of 10-30% of the price; withdrawing without a valid reason can mean losing it. Before the final deed, verify title, land-registry records, planning status, encumbrances, reciprocity and the tax classification with a lawyer, surveyor and notary as appropriate. The rogito must be signed before an Italian notary, who checks the legal validity, reads the deed, collects taxes and registers the transfer. A buyer who does not speak Italian needs a translation, adding time and cost. When documents are in order, the guide estimates four to eight weeks from offer to deed, with mortgage approval, missing paperwork and translation as common sources of delay.
Rental income, IMU and payment planning
A non-resident landlord should budget separate lines for rental income, municipal property tax and payment mechanics. For 2026 short-term rentals, the cedolare guide states a 26% standard rate and a 21% rate for one unit selected in the tax return; the private regime is capped at two apartments. Cedolare secca replaces ordinary IRPEF and local surcharges on the rental income, but it does not replace IMU. IMU is calculated from the cadastral base and the property's comune rate and is normally paid by 16 June and 16 December. The income return reports the gross rent and credits qualifying platform withholding where documented. For a non-resident, Modello Redditi PF is the ordinary route for Italian-source property income, and 2026 income belongs in the 2027 form once published. F24 can be settled through Italian online banking, the Agenzia's official foreign-transfer route or an authorised commercialista. Keep platform certificates, ownership shares and payment evidence together.
