Update for 2013 the license for your television in Italy is 113,50 euros and due by 1/31/13. Visit the italian national TV website and click your lingo flag in top right hand corner for details in German, Spanish, French & English.  Any doubts for a normal family house with 1 or more TVs simply pay the “abbonomenti ordinari” ordinary subscription.

Where & how to pay ? New subscribers

Existing subscribers you just need your TV licence number and a special code both on the renewal form you should have rec’d and then you can pay online at these sites: GruppoEquitalia or PaschiRiscossione

Update for 2012 the italian tv licence fee is 112euros and due by 31/1/12. Visit RAI to pay

Italian TV licence annual renewal is due by 31st January 2010 for any of you that own a house in Italy with a TV in the italian property. This is know by the Italian state TV the RAI as a subscription. Visit RAI for further details and how to pay (click relevant language flag in bottom left corner). This also applies to you italian abroad still owning your house in Italy. Annual subscription 109 euros for 12 months.

ps Some of you may have searched italy TV license not Italian TV licence.

Italy sinking

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

Apart from the obvious pun of the cruise ship Costa Concordia which crashed last Friday off the Tuscan coast near the island of Giglio near Grosetto, Tuscany, one wonders economically and socially is Italy sinking ?

Is it time to jump the boat before been left last man onboard to turn the lights out like captain Schettino did ?

Not covered by the international media but last week Sicily came to a grinding holt. A strike by lorry drivers blocking motorways and principal transport routes started last weekend, by Thursday the supermarket shelves were empty, petrol stations dried up, stores without supplies and okay life is slow here, but last week it was scary. It felt if though Sicily had literally stopped functioning.

Amazingly seasonal, zero mile supplies became popular like once upon a time. Prices though shot throw the roof, even the black economy benefitted with under the counter sales of scare products. There was even rumours the mafia was starting to get involved (if not already) controlling market prices.

Personally i was without petrol, not even enough to get to the airport in case of an emergency departure. I felt trapped. At least the cash machines worked in case a shop had some supplies. Ok it only lasted till Saturday, probably because the mums told their lorry driver sons to get back to work as their food supplies dried up for Sunday lunch…but even now Tuesday shops, stores, supermarkets are only just starting to stock up. With people now panic buying in case of a repeat strike, those few supplies arriving are quickly disappearing. Fortunately today i managed to find a petrol station with petrol, so i feel safer.

But worse the strike is now rolling out across the mainland. From north to south from Milan to Puglia roads blocked, lorries not delivery, live & fresh stock reaching sell by date, queues at petrol stations starting to form and some gas stations already dry. Even a protestor has been killed by a German lorry driver.

This is the people’s revolution against Mario Monti austerity reforms. Monti euro technocrat probably appointed by world banks to control their interests. With property tax on owner’s primary residence been reintroduced after 5 years, increases of VAT, redundancy growing, tax evasion been stamped on, from liberation of Chinese walled markets like taxis, chemists, notarys and more….the population have had enough and the Italian revolution has started and is Italy sinking ?

Italy debt rating cut by S&P from A+ to A. It was inevitable, with Berlusconi’s lack of seriousness in addressing the EUro crisi issue quickly and professionally… whilst he is popping in and out of court under various allegations involving prostitution, bribes and corruption…finally the outside world moves against him and the Italian economy, as domestically little is resolved as many Italians still admire him for been so “machio”.

l

Italy 150 years : Today Italy is celebrating 150 years as a united country. A national holiday was agreed at the last minute. Celebrations are taking place across the country. Turino (Turin) is the official 1^st capital of Italy, some say it was Salemi in Sicily (if only for 1 day), where Garibaldi declared the unification of Italy.  The official celebrations website is here at Italy.

The italian defense department has recently offered for sale some of her assets, including some intersting buildings. One in particulr is the light house on the italian island of Marettimo in the Egadi islands near Trapani sicily, next to the islands od Levanzo and Favignana. I will be visiting it on Sunday to take some photos and will report back next week. This is an interesting italian property development opportunity of a lighthouse on an accesabile island in Italy, I see a boutique hotel/residence with an exclusive mooring for yachts and a private jet runway or helicpoter landing pad….Buy a piece of italian history…sign up to our RSS to keep updated on this italian historic building development opportunity in Italy on the Egadi Islands near Trapani, Sicily in Marettimo.

12/5/11 : Catania airport closed for ash from Mount Etna following last nights volcanic activity.

Italian airports in the north of Italy are closed today sunday 9/5/10 due to the volcanic ash from Iceland volcano Eyjafjallajökull.

Some are open so check below.

Closure is foreseen from 08:00 till 14:00 today sunday 9/5/10…..to be updated later.

YES its CONFIRMED THE ITALIAN AIRPORTS HAVE REOPENED AS FROM 14:00 local time today.

The italian airports affected are:

Milano Malpensa (MPX), Milano Linate, Bergamo Orio al Serio(BGY) , Brescia (VBS), Verona, Turin(TRN), Cuneo(CUF), Genoa(GOA), Parma(PMF), Bologna(BLQ), Pisa(PSA).

South of Pisa airports in the immediate vicinty are reported open, such as Rimini(RMI).

In the North East Venice(VCE) and Trieste(TSF) are reported as open.

Hoping you have a good holiday in Italy.

BEckham during last nights game for AC Milan against Chievo in the seria A in Italy first got kicked in the face and suffered heavy bleeding and then unchallenged broke his Achilles tendon. David rumured to be buying George Clooneys italian villa on the italian Lakes rested in a Milan hospital overnight before heading off to FInland for surgery. Beckhams chances of playing in the world cup finals for England are now very slim.

BEckham is on transfer from LA Galaxy in his second season in the italian premiership. Milan beating CHievo 1-0 are now 1 point behind the leaders. After his return to Manchester last week this is probably the start of a sad end to David’s football career…well at least he can rest and enjoy the italian lakes in his house in Italy….auguri.

Italian Limited company SRL

Further to recent investigations regarding using a UK limited liability company with registered branches in Italy or setting up an independent Italian corporate identity i would like to further discuss the Italian limited liability company known in Italy as SRL (Società a responsabilità limitata), literally translated as “company with limited responsibility.” And similar to a UK ltd company.

For those of you considering DIY restoration of your Italian property, there are certain options. Read the rest of this entry »

Income Tax Italy IRPEF

I was just advising some clients about income tax on the rental income for thier italian property and thought you may wish to know the personal income tax rates in italy, locally know as IRPEF

There is no tax free income. The following is for income raised during the financial year 2009 upto 31/12/09. In Italy the tax year is the same as the calender year.Tax returns on the Mod 1 due 31.5.10.

First 15,000 euros taxed at 23%

Further income from 15000 – 28000 taxed at 27%

Further income from 28000 – 55,000 taxed at 38%

Further income from 55000 – 75000 taxed at 41%

Anything above 75000 taxed at 43%

So an income in Italy  of 100,000 euros would result in an italian tax bill of

15000@23%=3450

28000-15000=13000@27%=3510

55000-28000=27000@38%=10260

75000-55000=20000@41%=8200

100000-75000=25000@43%=10750

For a total tax bill of 3450+3510+10260+8200+10750=36170

Thats 36.1% italy income tax IRPEF on a 100,000 italian income…How does that rate to your countries income tax rate…post comments to let us know.

Serpentara Sardegna Italian Island for Sale Italy 600,000 euros

island for sale sardegna

Serpentara 2 miles off the South East coast of Sardegna is for sale. Located in the province of Cagliari in the far south east corner near the town of Villasimius, see google maps.  South of Villasimius heading towards the Punta Santa Caterina is the island of Isola dei Cavoli, further east and a little north is the island of Serpentera, 2 miles off the coast of Sardegna see google maps , which translated means Serpent named after the shape of the island coast line.  134 hectares of land in Italy with 1 old building known as the La Torre di San Luigi (circa 1700), that’s Saint Luigi’s old tower / lighthouse in Italy and a 2^nd world war buncker on the coast. There is no planning permission to build your luxury Italian beachside property, nor a lovely villa set Read the rest of this entry »