In Italy, all real estate transactions must go through a notary and are subject to taxes, which are always paid by the buyer. The total amount depends on who the seller is, the type of property being purchased, and whether the buyer qualifies for the Prima Casa (First Home) tax benefit.
Taxes are the same for everyone — regardless of nationality or residency — and the rates are fixed at the national level. Location or region does not affect the tax calculation.
What Affects the Tax Amount?
1. Seller Type: Private Individual vs Legal Entity
Buying from a private seller (resale market):
If you’re buying a buildable plot of land, the tax is based on the market value instead, and the Prima Casa benefit does not apply.
Note: The mortgage tax is required for all purchases in Italy — it is unrelated to whether the buyer takes out a loan and is instead used to verify whether any liens or encumbrances exist on the property.
Buying from a legal entity (e.g. a developer or construction company):
2. Prima Casa Tax Incentive
The Prima Casa benefit allows buyers to significantly reduce taxes when purchasing property as their primary residence.
Requirements:
Good to know: If the buyer doesn’t have Italian residency yet but plans to obtain it, they can still apply for the Prima Casa benefit, as long as residency is obtained within 18 months of the purchase. Otherwise, the tax savings must be repaid along with a fine.
How it reduces taxes:
3. Property Category: Standard vs Luxury
Luxury properties — which fall under the cadastral categories A1 (historic homes), A8 (luxury villas), and A9 (castles, palaces) do not qualify for the Prima Casa benefit.
Taxes when buying a new luxury home from a developer:
Whether a property is considered “luxury” depends on various criteria such as square footage, location, finishes, and amenities like swimming pools.
4. Buying Agricultural Land
For land classified as agricultural:
Real-Life Examples
Example 1: Resale apartment, no tax benefit
Example 2: Same apartment with Prima Casa
Example 3: New construction with Prima Casa
Example 4: Luxury new build from a developer
Who Handles the Tax Payments?
All taxes and fees are calculated and paid through the notary at the time of signing the purchase agreement.
Buyers do not need to handle the payments directly — everything is included in the closing process.
You’ll receive a full breakdown of taxes and notary fees in advance, before the deed is signed.
Taxes are the same for everyone — regardless of nationality or residency — and the rates are fixed at the national level. Location or region does not affect the tax calculation.
What Affects the Tax Amount?
1. Seller Type: Private Individual vs Legal Entity
Buying from a private seller (resale market):
- Registration tax: 9% of the cadastral value
- Cadastral tax: €50
- Mortgage tax: €50
If you’re buying a buildable plot of land, the tax is based on the market value instead, and the Prima Casa benefit does not apply.
Note: The mortgage tax is required for all purchases in Italy — it is unrelated to whether the buyer takes out a loan and is instead used to verify whether any liens or encumbrances exist on the property.
Buying from a legal entity (e.g. a developer or construction company):
- VAT (IVA): 10% of the purchase price
- Registration tax: €200
- Mortgage tax: €200
- Cadastral tax: €200
2. Prima Casa Tax Incentive
The Prima Casa benefit allows buyers to significantly reduce taxes when purchasing property as their primary residence.
Requirements:
- The buyer or their spouse must not own another property in Italy that was purchased using this benefit.
- The property must be used as the buyer’s main residence.
- The property must be classified as residential (not a garage, storage unit, land, etc.).
Good to know: If the buyer doesn’t have Italian residency yet but plans to obtain it, they can still apply for the Prima Casa benefit, as long as residency is obtained within 18 months of the purchase. Otherwise, the tax savings must be repaid along with a fine.
How it reduces taxes:
- On resale properties: The registration tax is reduced to 2% of the cadastral value (minimum €1,000).
- On new properties from a developer: VAT is reduced from 10% to 4%.
3. Property Category: Standard vs Luxury
Luxury properties — which fall under the cadastral categories A1 (historic homes), A8 (luxury villas), and A9 (castles, palaces) do not qualify for the Prima Casa benefit.
Taxes when buying a new luxury home from a developer:
- VAT: 22% of the purchase price
- Registration, cadastral, and mortgage taxes: €200 each
Whether a property is considered “luxury” depends on various criteria such as square footage, location, finishes, and amenities like swimming pools.
4. Buying Agricultural Land
For land classified as agricultural:
- Registration tax: 15% of the market value
- Cadastral and mortgage tax: €50 each
- Minimum tax amount: €1,000
Real-Life Examples
Example 1: Resale apartment, no tax benefit
- Market price: €120,000
- Cadastral value: €75,000
- Registration tax: 9% of €75,000 = €6,750
- Fixed fees: €100
Example 2: Same apartment with Prima Casa
- Registration tax: 2% of €75,000 = €1,500
- Fixed fees: €100
Example 3: New construction with Prima Casa
- Price: €200,000
- VAT (4%): €8,000
- Fixed fees: €600
Example 4: Luxury new build from a developer
- Price: €1,800,000
- VAT (22%): €396,000
- Fixed fees: €600
Who Handles the Tax Payments?
All taxes and fees are calculated and paid through the notary at the time of signing the purchase agreement.
Buyers do not need to handle the payments directly — everything is included in the closing process.
You’ll receive a full breakdown of taxes and notary fees in advance, before the deed is signed.