Italy tax return 2026: 730 vs Redditi PF

If you have become a tax resident of Italy or simply earn income here, sooner or later you will encounter the annual tax return - dichiarazione dei redditi. For an immigrant on forfettario or ordinary lavoro autonomo this is not a one-off formality but an annual cycle: file the return, calculate the tax and contributions, pay on time, do not forget the advances. Italian tax law is overloaded with exceptions, so below is a deliberately simplified baseline for those just getting started. This is an overview based on community experience, not legal or tax advice: any figures, rates, and dates are time-sensitive, so check on the official portal agenziaentrate.gov.it and with a licensed accountant (commercialista).

It is convenient to estimate your forfettario tax and INPS contributions against your turnover in the calculator:

Two forms of return: 730 and Redditi PF

For individuals in Italy there are two main forms for reporting income, and it is important from the very start to understand which one is yours.

• Modello 730 - the simplified return. It is usually filed by employees (lavoro dipendente) and pensioners with a straightforward income picture. The big plus of the 730: the final calculation is settled directly - an overpayment is refunded, and an underpayment is withheld straight from the salary or pension through the employer or pension fund, without a separate payment.
• Modello Redditi Persone Fisiche (formerly UNICO) - the main, fuller form. It is used to report by the self-employed with a Partita IVA, owners of foreign assets and accounts, and generally everyone for whom the simplified 730 does not fit. A self-employed person on forfettario reports their activity in a separate block (according to the community - module LM within the Redditi PF).

The practical takeaway according to the community: if you are relocating and working for yourself, your form is almost certainly Redditi PF, not the 730. The form is not chosen by preference ("the 730 is simpler") - it is determined by the type of income: a self-employed person on forfettario physically does not fit in the 730, and their return goes through Redditi PF with a separate module. That is exactly why those filing a return for the first time should better not experiment on their own but work through their case with a specialist right away.

Who can skip filing a return

A full exemption from filing does exist, but be careful: it is hedged with many caveats, and the penalties for a missed return are large. According to the community, you can usually skip filing a return in the following situations (the thresholds are approximate, verify the current details):

• employed work for a single employer - the employer withholds and pays the taxes as a tax agent (but here too there are many exceptions, for example when changing employers during the year);
• income from real estate below roughly 500 euro per year;
• income from employment below roughly 8000-something euro per year;
• payments from a spouse (other than alimony) below roughly 8500 euro per year;
• income from self-employed activity below roughly 5000 euro per year;
• income from sporting activity below roughly 30000 euro per year;
• if the final tax amount is entirely symbolic (a threshold of around 10 euro is cited), a particular type of income may also fall out of the obligation to declare.

The key warning according to the community: there are so many exceptions and refinements to these rules that "it seems to me I do not need to file" is a poor thing to rely on. If there is the slightest doubt, it is cheaper to ask an accountant once than to later deal with a penalty for not filing. This is especially true for those who hold foreign accounts or plan to show income for a residence permit renewal - there a zero return can backfire.

Deadlines: filing and payment are different dates

The most common confusion for newcomers is to mix up the deadline for filing the return and the deadline for paying the tax. These are two different calendars.

When to file the return

According to the community, when filing electronically (and this is the main method), the return for the previous year is sent by the autumn of the following year - a common reference point in chats is 30 November. The 730 form has its own, earlier deadline (Modello 730 - a reference point of 30 September, verify on agenziaentrate.gov.it), and paper filing has its own as well. Everything is filed from the tax authority's online portal (through SPID/CIE, or through an intermediary - an accountant or a CAF).

Verify the exact dates for your specific year on agenziaentrate.gov.it: they are periodically shifted, and relying on last year's deadline is risky.

When to pay the tax

The tax, according to the community, is paid in two parts over the year - by 30 June and by 30 November. The advance is split into two unequal shares (according to the community usually around 40% and 60%); verify the exact shares, thresholds and dates on agenziaentrate.gov.it.

And here a logic that throws many off comes into play: the tax for the current year is paid in advance (acconto), based on the return for the previous year.

• By 30 June you pay the remaining balance (saldo) for the previous year and make the first advance for the current year.
• By 30 November you make the second advance for the current year.
• If for the previous year there was no income and no return, no advances are paid - the final calculation for the previous year is due by 30 November.

That is, in the second year of work the load feels heavier: both the balance for the first year and the advance for the second pile up. This is normal - just set the amount aside in advance. According to the community, for the self-employed with turnover below a certain limit there is the option to pay the second advance in instalments over several months, but interest is charged for the instalment plan; look for the details in the current orders of the Agenzia delle Entrate.

In the first year I relaxed - there was almost no income, nothing to pay in June or November. But in the second year it all hit at once for two: the balance for the first plus the advance for the second. If I had not set it aside in advance, it would have been painful. The advice is one: count the tax as a portion to set aside from each receipt, not as a one-off payment at the end of the year.

The acconto principle is easier to understand this way: the state takes tax from you on the future, on the assumption that you will earn roughly the same. If your income has fallen this year, the advance can be recalculated downward, so as not to overpay. If it has grown, you pay the rest based on the actual figures. That is why the previous year's return directly affects how much you pay in advance this year. Do not ignore this mechanism - it is precisely because of it that the "unexpected" amounts arise.

Where and how to pay: F24, two bodies

You have to pay to two different bodies, and these are two separate payments:

1. the tax authority (Agenzia delle Entrate) - income tax;
2. the pension fund (INPS) - social contributions.

The main payment tool is the F24 form. According to the community, it can be carried out:

• through your bank's internet banking / home banking (the standard and simplified F24 forms are usually available);
• through the F24 web service in the tax authority's portal with payment through pagoPA;
• at the post office, including online.

The payment codes (codice tributo) and details for the F24 are usually prepared by the accountant or a tax service - do not guess them yourself; an error in the code or period turns a paid tax into a "hanging" arrears. According to the community, the tax and INPS are two different payments, and they are easy to merge into one by mistake. The link between the tax part and the bank account and the origin of funds is covered in the article Bank account and transferring money to Italy.

INPS contributions: deadlines and the fixed minimum

Contributions to the pension fund, according to the community, follow a schedule similar to the tax: by 30 June - the balance (saldo) for the previous year and the first advance for the current, by 30 November - the second advance. But there is an important fork by type of fund (cassa).

• The self-employed without a professional fund (many libero professionista) usually go into gestione separata: there are no mandatory fixed payments there, contributions are calculated on the actual income, but the rate is higher.
• Artisans and traders (artigiani, commercianti) - into their own funds with a minimum fixed contribution. According to the community, this minimum is paid regardless of how much you actually earned: the reference point in chats is around several thousand euro per year (around 4000 euro is cited at a notional minimum income of around 16000). If income is below the limit, only the fixed minimum is paid; if above, the top-up over it follows the standard schedule (30 June / 30 November).

Fixed contributions have their own dates over the year (according to the community - roughly in May, August, November, and February). The specific procedure, rates, and dates depend heavily on your ATECO code and the year - verify on inps.it. How the rates and the logic of contributions work for a self-employed person is covered in detail in the article Taxes for the self-employed: forfettario and INPS.

Penalties and ravvedimento operoso

Here the main rule of the community sounds harsh: being late in Italy is expensive, and even a single day of delay is highly undesirable. Let us break it down by type.

Penalty for not filing a return

According to the community, the penalty for a return not filed is calculated as a percentage of the tax due - a range of roughly 60% to 240% of the amount is cited, but no less than approximately 250 euro. The specific percentage depends on how late you are and on other factors. If there is no tax due at all (but you did not file the return), the penalty according to the community is fixed - in the range of 250 to 1000 euro.

Penalty for non-payment of the tax

For late payment of the tax, the penalty cited by the community is around 30% of the amount, plus interest. For a large unpaid amount (the reference point in chats is from 25000 euro), criminal liability is possible, not just a monetary penalty.

Penalty on INPS contributions

For late contributions to the pension fund the range cited by the community is wider - from 30% to 60%. The same threshold of a large amount (around 25000 euro) theoretically pushes the matter into the criminal sphere.

Ravvedimento operoso - how to soften it

The most useful thing to know in advance: in Italy there is a legal self-correction mechanism - ravvedimento operoso. The gist according to the community is this: if you caught it yourself (you were late with a payment, understated an amount, forgot to file something), you voluntarily top up the tax, interest, and a heavily reduced penalty - before the tax authority sends an official demand. The discount on the penalty is the greater the faster you corrected it: in the first days it is maximal, then the penalty gradually grows.

This is not an exemption from liability but a mitigation of it - but the difference in money is tangible. So if you realize that you are late or have made an error, do not wait for a letter from the tax authority: go to the accountant and arrange a ravvedimento. The calculation procedure, the discount percentages, and the interest are time-sensitive - verify on agenziaentrate.gov.it.

The main thing I repeat to clients about penalties: do not bury your head in the sand. If you were late with a payment, there is ravvedimento operoso - you voluntarily pay the tax, small interest, and a reduced penalty, and the sooner, the cheaper. But once the official demand arrives from the tax authority, the discount no longer applies, and the amount is entirely different. A single day of delay here really costs money.

I asked whether, like in Russia, you can file the return on time and then a "corrected version" with an increased amount. It was explained to me that yes, you can correct it, and if you top up through ravvedimento before the tax authority notices itself, the penalty will be minimal. But you cannot drag it out - the discount melts away over time. So it is better to count and close it right away with the accountant than to later receive a demand.

Foreign assets and rental income: additional returns

Beyond the income tax itself, according to the community there are separate things that it is important for an immigrant not to miss in the return:

• IVAFE - the tax on financial assets abroad (foreign accounts, brokerage portfolios);
• IVIE - the tax on real estate abroad;
• rental income from real estate;
• the monitoring of foreign assets in the return (according to the community this is a separate section, called quadro RW in chats);
• crypto-assets - in the same RW at any amount, with a 0.2% value tax; the gains rates (26% for 2025, 33% from 2026) and a worked example are in Crypto tax in Italy.

The penalties here are separate and also unpleasant. According to the community, for late reporting of foreign assets a fixed amount is cited (around 258 euro) if you make it within roughly 90 days after the ordinary deadline; otherwise - a percentage of the undeclared: roughly 3% to 15% for assets in "ordinary" countries and noticeably higher (6% to 30% is cited) for countries on the "blacklist". For non-declaration of rental income the ranges are even harsher. All these figures are approximate and time-sensitive - be sure to verify them on agenziaentrate.gov.it and with an accountant.

This topic especially concerns those who hold Wise, Revolut and similar accounts with their Italian codice fiscale stated, and at the same time do not show foreign income in the Italian return. According to the community, a discrepancy between the declared income and the actual spending (an expensive school, rent) is a typical trigger for questions from the tax authority along the lines of "where did the money come from". The logic of tax residency and the rule of 183 days are covered in the article Permesso renewal and the 183-day rule.

The most underestimated part for relocators is not the tax itself but the reporting on foreign accounts and assets. People declare a minimal Italian income, while on foreign accounts they hold large amounts and pay for life from there. For the tax authority this is a visible contradiction. Foreign assets must be shown in the return separately - this is not an option, and the penalties for omitting are calculated on the amount of the asset.

Reddito complessivo: the figure the questura looks at

For an immigrant the return is not only about taxes but also about renewing the residence permit. According to the community, when renewing for lavoro autonomo, the questura officer most often looks not at your gross turnover but at the reddito complessivo (total income) line in the return - sometimes together with the protocol of its submission to the tax authority.

The subtlety is that on forfettario the reddito complessivo is calculated through the profitability coefficient (which automatically writes off part of the turnover as expenses) and net of the INPS contributions already paid this year. That is why the total income in the return is noticeably lower than turnover. The practical takeaway according to the community: for the reddito complessivo line to retain the amount needed for renewal, the turnover must be planned with a margin - divide the target income by the coefficient and add the contributions. In the first year the contributions are not deducted (they are not yet paid), and from the second year they must be accounted for. So even a minimal but correctly shown income is more important than a pretty zero.

I looked at our return, mine and my wife's: the questura takes the income from the reddito complessivo line, and this is already with the coefficient applied and net of the contributions actually paid. For the first year there are no contributions, so there it is only the coefficient. The lesson is simple - do not go by turnover, count exactly the figure the officer will see in the return, and build in a margin.

CAF or commercialista: whom to go to

Many in the community do not risk filling out a multi-page return themselves - an error can cost more than the specialist's services. There are two main supports.

• CAF (Centro di Assistenza Fiscale) - state tax assistance centres. According to the community they are mentioned for basic returns (especially the 730), certificates, filling out the ISEE, and simple cases. Often cheaper, but not tailored to the complex situations of a self-employed person with foreign income.
• Commercialista (Dottore Commercialista) - a certified tax consultant and accountant. According to the community it is precisely they who handle the Partita IVA, prepare the Redditi PF, calculate the contributions, and take on complex and international cases. For forfettario with a foreign component this is usually the more reliable choice.

According to the community there is no direct legal requirement to hire a commercialista, but a number of actions (complex reporting, corporate returns) may by law be performed only by them. For a simple picture a CAF or a simpler tax consultant can be enough. The cost reference points from chats vary greatly: opening a Partita IVA - from free (with a service contract) to a couple of hundred euro; running forfettario with a local commercialista - according to the community roughly 500-1500 euro a year (more often 600-900); online services for forfettario - around 350-500 euro a year. What the price includes, when a CAF is enough and how not to overpay is covered in the separate breakdown Commercialista in Italy: how much it costs. The figures are approximate - verify the current details.

An important rule of the community: the accountant calculates based on the inputs you bring. Complaints about "different answers from different specialists" are more often not about bad accountants but about different source data. Come with a clear model: who you are, where and how you earn your income, where you actually live, what foreign accounts and assets you have.

The line is simple: if you have forfettario, an employee salary, or a pension and everything is in Italy - a CAF or basic tax advice is often enough. As soon as foreign accounts, rent abroad, international activity, or the question of renewing a residence permit appear - go to a commercialista. And remember: the return will be exactly as correct as the data you provided is complete. A hidden foreign account is not "saving money", it is a future problem with interest and penalties.

The income tax return for individuals is filed on form 730 or on form Redditi Persone Fisiche within the established deadlines, predominantly electronically through the tax authority's services. The filing and payment deadlines, the list of mandatory attachments, and the amounts of sanctions are published on the official website of the tax authority.

Once again: this is an overview based on community experience, not legal or tax advice. The family composition, the ATECO code, the type of fund, and the applicable regime differ for everyone, so calculating your specific case and determining the exact deadlines should be done by a licensed accountant, and the figures - verify on agenziaentrate.gov.it and inps.it.

Common myths about the return

• "The 730 is simpler, so I will file it" - according to the community the form is not chosen by preference, it depends on the type of income; a self-employed person goes through Redditi PF.
• "Small income means the return can definitely be skipped" - according to the community, because of foreign accounts and the nuances of the exceptions, the obligation often remains anyway.
• "The filing deadline and the payment deadline are the same thing" - no, these are different dates and different calendars.
• "If I was late, all is lost" - according to the community there is ravvedimento operoso: a voluntary top-up with a reduced penalty, and the sooner, the cheaper.
• "The questura cares about my turnover" - according to the community they look at the reddito complessivo in the return, and it is lower than turnover.
• "A foreign account is none of the tax authority's business" - according to the community foreign assets are declared separately (IVAFE/IVIE/monitoring), and there are penalties for omitting.

Related articles

• Taxes for the self-employed: forfettario and INPS - the regime, rates, and contributions.
• Flat tax for wealthy new residents - the fixed tax on foreign income.
• Lavoro autonomo residence permit: steps and income thresholds - the whole route and income requirements.
• Lavoro autonomo or digital nomad - what to choose on taxes.
• Myth: a Partita IVA by itself gives a permesso - what a P.IVA does not do.
• Bank account and transferring money to Italy - accounts and the origin of funds.
• ISEE and DSU on the INPS portal - where reddito complessivo comes in handy.
• Permesso renewal and the 183-day rule - income for renewal and residency.
• Tax deductions in Italy: 730, medical costs - what you can get back through the return.
• Commercialista in Italy: how much it costs - price ranges and when a CAF is enough.

Official sources

• agenziaentrate.gov.it - the Italian tax authority: forms 730 and Redditi PF, filing and payment deadlines, F24, ravvedimento operoso, sanctions.
• inps.it - the National Social Security Institute: social contributions of the self-employed, gestione separata, the artigiani and commercianti funds, payment deadlines.
• normattiva.it - the official texts of Italian laws and regulatory acts (including the TUIR - DPR 917/1986; from 01.01.2027 it is replaced by the new Testo unico, D.Lgs. 117/2026).
• interno.gov.it and portaleimmigrazione.it - the Italian Ministry of the Interior and the immigration portal: income requirements for residence permit renewal.

Frequently asked questions

How does modello 730 differ from Redditi Persone Fisiche?

According to the community, the 730 is a simplified form, usually used by employees and pensioners with a straightforward income picture, and the result is settled directly through their salary or pension. The Modello Redditi PF (formerly UNICO) is the main, fuller form, used to report by the self-employed with a Partita IVA, owners of foreign assets, and anyone for whom the 730 does not fit. Those filing a return for the first time and working for themselves most often need exactly the Redditi PF. Which form fits your case, check on agenziaentrate.gov.it and with an accountant - this is not legal advice.

When is the deadline to file a tax return in Italy?

According to the community, when filing electronically the return for the previous year must be sent around late autumn (the reference point is 30 November of the following year), the Modello 730 is due earlier (a reference point of 30 September), and paper filing has its own deadline. These are different deadlines for filing the return and for paying the tax, and they are easy to confuse. Verify the exact dates for your year on agenziaentrate.gov.it - they are time-sensitive, this is not legal advice.

What happens if you are late with the return or the tax?

According to the community, the penalties here are significant: for a return not filed they cite a range as a percentage of the tax with a fixed minimum, and for late payment of the tax itself - a separate penalty plus interest. The ravvedimento operoso mechanism helps soften the punishment - a voluntary top-up payment of the tax with a reduced penalty; the sooner, the cheaper. A commercialista should calculate the specific amount, and check the current rates on agenziaentrate.gov.it - this is not legal advice.

What is ravvedimento operoso?

According to the community, this is a legal way to fix a delay or error yourself: you voluntarily top up the tax, interest, and a heavily reduced penalty, before the tax authority sends a demand of its own. The size of the discount on the penalty depends on how quickly you caught it - in the first days it is minimal, then it grows. This is not an exemption from liability but a mitigation of it; check the procedure and percentages on agenziaentrate.gov.it and with an accountant - this is not legal advice.

Where and how do you pay the tax - through F24?

According to the community, the main payment tool is the F24 form: it is generated in the tax authority's online portal (F24 web with payment through pagoPA), through a banking app or website, or at the post office. You have to pay to two bodies - the tax authority (Agenzia delle Entrate) and the pension fund (INPS), which are two separate payments. The details and codice tributo codes are usually prepared by an accountant - do not guess them yourself, this is not legal advice.

Which income figure from the return does the questura look at when renewing a residence permit?

According to the community, when renewing a residence permit for lavoro autonomo, the officer most often relies on the reddito complessivo (total income) line in the return rather than on your gross turnover. On forfettario this income is calculated through a profitability coefficient and net of the INPS contributions already paid, so it is noticeably lower than turnover - you need to factor this into planning the amount in advance. Different questuras have different requirements, check with yours - this is not legal advice.

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Next stepIncome & tax calculatorIs your income enough for the permit? Compare to the threshold and estimate forfettario tax + INPS.

Documents for this topic

• Certificate of Tax Residency in Italy (Attestato di Residenza Fiscale - Agenzia delle Entrate)
• Promotional page for the accounting service for Partita IVA (FlexSuite, €259/year, 2023)
• Composition of the accounting service for Partita IVA: FlexSuite and income declaration (step 05-06)