durobird

I am sure this has been covered before,but I cant find it.
We are looking to buy a house here in the Avellino area. My partner is Italian and can call it his Prima Casa.
Does anybody have a rough guide as to expenses/taxes involved?
The estate agent told us the Prima Casa tax was abolished,but I dont know if this is true?
Many thanks in advance for any help.

Kenny and Moe

Hi durobird,
Good to hear you got over safe and sound at last. Have you found somewhere? We have but nearer Naples and about to make an offer. You will have estate agent fees which vary immensely, usually a percentage of the cost of the house, you will also have Notaio fees (solicitor) which I guage at about €3500 ish but again vary immensely, you will have rubbish tax (Tarfu - I think not expensive at all though) and someone on here mentioned 'Morgage Deeds?? at €1500, again not sure about this though.
Rosalindann who appears on here has moved about 8 times in Italy and is something of an expert, no doubt she will give good advice when she reads your post.
Let us know how you get on and I will do the same
regards Kenny

durobird

Hi Kenny
Good luck with your move. Was my Estate agent right,that there is no longer a "Prima Casa" Tax to pay? So the only costs involved are the ones you mention here?(Though we wont be needing a mortgage)
Whereabouts are you buying?
Nice to hear from you.

37100

Sorry I've been a bit tied-up lately. Moved 8+, not bought, that would have been a nightmare.
Prima casa you must register as resident (doesn't matter if you don't actually live there) within 18 mnths and you cannot own, part own etc any other places. If your name is also on the deeds only your partners half qualifies.
The taxes also depend on who you buy from, private or developer. Assuming you are buing from private, you should have to pay 3% imposta di registro, about 150-200 euros land registry and the same to register mortgage. Non prima casa is 7%, then 1% and 1%.
You then have to pay agency fees and a notaio. Do not use the agents notaio, always find your own. Their fees vary a lot but they seem to be between 2% and 4% each unless you have one among you friends.
Utility bills also depend on residency. Here in Verona and Turin electricity. water and rubbish (tarsu) are cheaper, gas is the same though that could soon change. However this seems to vary region to region and my oh haggled with the rubbish company in Turin and managed to get a discount!
I assume your agent was talking about the yearly house tax ICI. This has been abolished for prima casa but the town hall now needs another way to find the money.
Need anything else, just ask but I might be a bit slow in answering.

Kenny and Moe

Durobird,
apologies, I should have mentioned 'residency'. I have just got mine but it did take six months, mainly waiting for the Polizia Muncipale to check I was staying where I said I was.

Not too sure about the Prima Casa bit in your case as your chap is Italian, if he is buying on his own it should be okay but if you are buying as a couple you will not be entitled to your 50% Prima Casa, unless you have residency already. I am sure Rosalind will put us both straight.

I told you Rosalind would come back with better advice

Have a good day - is it wet and windy up in the hills?

37100

Did say only your partners half qualifies if you are not resident and that you have 18mnths after buying to get residency, sorry if I wasn't clear on that point.
Didn't mention needing a codice fiscale because I thought it went without saying but on reflection, maybe it doesn't. So... you need a codice fiscale.
Kenny, does owning property in Italy have any tax implications in G.B.? Just curious.
I needed our residency quickly so we pleaded our case to the town hall and they sent the polizia municipale round the next day and it was a Saturday Thought I'd landed on another planet.

Kenny and Moe

Rosalind,
No. there is also the issue of what is called double jeopardy, in that you cannot be taxed twice in two EU countries, should there be any tax implications. Owning a property in Italy has no tax implications in GB or UK, particularly with Italian residency ( or so I have been informed and if anyone knows any different please let me know) As an aside I have no choice in paying tax when it is due, I have to pay tax in UK regardless where I live due to who I get paid by.
Polizia round the next day WOW, I was told there was too much going on in and around Naples for them to bother with a residency visit but they got there in the end bless em
Regards Kenny

chris120

"As an aside I have no choice in paying tax when it is due, I have to pay tax in UK regardless where I live due to who I get paid by."

I think you've got that the wrong way around, you pay tax where you live for the majority of the time (i.e. more than 182 days in a year) regardless of who you are paid by or where the payment is made. There are a few exceptions to this i.e. if you are a crown employee or the income is investment income.

Kenny and Moe

Chris,
I was correct - crown employee fortunately at this time.
Regards Kenny

chris120

Kenny,
Crown employee: Ah, I remember it well; gas coupons, PSI chits, the NAAFI, cheap cars ......I never had it so good.

Kenny and Moe

Chris


Some of them 'perks' have long gone, No NAAFIs in Italy I'm afraid and I'm not too sure there are many left in Germany, we are pulling out of there and back to UK pretty rapidly. I have only done the new car thing once, way back in '81, not really sure why I didn't bother again although I spent a long time back in UK and HK. I know blokes who did it religiously every 12 months although I also know of some who did it and then made not a dime when trying to sell it in UK.

As for gas coupons and cheap cigarettes

Regards Kenny

lindaf

Hi Kenny

Sort of related question - is residency not complete until the police have actually been to the house and checked you out?

Linda

37100

They don't always come out but the town hall should send you a letter saying you're on the books. Last time we did it took about 6 weeks and the police didn't bother coming.

lindaf

Thanks Rosalindann

I want to make sure we're paying residents rates for our utilities as soon as possible - especially after the high gas bill we've just got today

If and when the police do come out do they actually look under your beds etc or do they just talk to you and look at your residency papers?

I'm going to try and get my residency from the Comune again next week so fingers crossed that it'll go ahead OK.

Linda

37100

Last time 2 female officers came, took one look at my pile of ironing on a dinning room chair and delcared 'no one esle would want to live here'. They really only have to make sure you are the one's actually living there. All started years ago because of the BR's and terrorism.
They've always asked if we rent or own.