Introduction
This blog contains an indication, in the context of a typical “expat” taxpayer resident in Italy of the information and documents that need to be collated in preparation of Italian Annual Income Tax Return.
Preparing an Italian annual income tax return can be particularly complex for expats — especially where foreign income and overseas assets are involved. This post sets out a practical, indicative list of the information and documents that are typically required for an expat taxpayer resident in Italy when starting the annual tax return process.
While the checklist aims to be comprehensive, the specific documentation required will ultimately depend on individual circumstances.
If your are reporting income and assets in a non Euro currency, the relevant values need to be converted into Euro using Bank of Italy rates following Italian Tax Agency guidelines on what rates to use. These usually require the use of average monthly rates, rather than spot daily rates.
If you are using our services for assistance with preparation of the return, we can easily handle FX conversions. We offer a “Landing Page” to help gather the relevant information and supporting documents.
Personal & Residency Information
- Personal details (full name, codice fiscale, date/place of birth)
- Current Italian address and previous addresses (if changed during the year)
- Family status (marital status, dependent family members)
Tax residency timeline for the year (arrival/departure dates, changes in residence)
Registration with Anagrafe and/or AIRE (if applicable)
Copy of passport and Italian residence permit (if non‑EU)
Prior Year & Reference Documents
- Copy of previous Italian tax return (Modello Redditi PF or 730)
- Copy of previous foreign tax return (and current year if available, even in draft)
- Schedule of tax and social security payments made in the year
- Notices or correspondence from Agenzia delle Entrate (if any)
- Details of any tax assessments, audits, or voluntary disclosures
Italian‑Source Income (if applicable)
- Certificazione Unica (CU) from Italian employers or pension providers
Italian rental income statements and lease contracts - Italian self‑employment / Partita IVA income summaries
Italian capital gains statements (banks or intermediaries) - Proof of Italian withholding taxes paid
Foreign Employment & Professional Income
- Foreign payslips or annual salary statements
- Employer certificates or local tax summaries from abroad
- Foreign self‑employment accounts or profit & loss statements
- Details of workdays physically performed in Italy vs abroad
- Foreign social security contributions paid
Foreign Investment Income
- Summary of Bank and other interest receipts showing source account, dates and amounts along with copy statements
- Dividend statements from foreign companies or brokers
- Capital gains reports (shares, ETFs, funds, bonds)
- End‑of‑year portfolio statements (with ISINs)
- Crypto transaction summaries (trades, disposals, income)
Foreign Real Estate Income
- Property ownership documents
- Foreign rental income statements
- Foreign property expense records
- Local property tax payments abroad
- Valuation or tax base used in the foreign jurisdiction
Foreign Pension & Retirement Income
- Summary of payments received in the year showing source account, date of receipt and amount (see this article)
- Pension payment statements (state and private)
- Details of pension schemes (country, type, gross amount)
- Foreign tax withholding certificates
Lump‑sum distributions (if any)
Other Income
- Summary of other income received in the year (e.g royalties)received in the year showing source, date of receipt and amount.
Foreign Taxes Paid (Double‑Tax Relief)
- Foreign tax returns filed
- Official proof of foreign taxes paid or withheld
- Tax payment receipts
- Details of applicable double tax treaties relied upon
Foreign Assets – Monitoring & Wealth Tax (Quadro RW)
- List of all foreign bank and payment accounts showing IBAN/account number, country, bank name and opening and closing balances, and average amount held on account over the year
- List of all foreign real estate held with address, ownership %, and value (generally purchase price).
- List of all other financial investments, with opening and closing market values showing acquisitions and disposals in year, along with brokers’ statements.
- List of valuables, works of art, luxury or vintage vehicles
Non Euro values need to be converted at Bank of Italy average monthly rates for December of the year closing values and December of the prior year for opening values.
Deductions and Tax Credits
A list of available deductions and tax deductions can be found here
The following deductions can be found on the taxpayer’s pre-compiled tax return on the Tax Agency portal.
These include
- healthcare expenses
- university tuition;
- funeral expenses
- insurance premiums
- social security contributions
- bank transfers for building renovations and energy efficiency upgrades.
The system will only show expenses where payment has been made through the Italian system. For expenses not shown, suhc as quyalfing expendite paid to non Italian suppliers it will be necessary to prepare
- A list of all amounts paid showing supplier name, a description of the expense, data paid, the amount in foreign currency, the amount in Euro and how payment was made (bank transfer/credit/debit card )
- Copy receipts/invoices for all expenditure shown in the list.
Special Regimes & Elections (if applicable)
- Impatriate regime documentation
- Flat tax / new HNWI resident election
- Retiree regime (7% regime) documentation
Any changes or opt‑outs during the year
Payments & Banking
- Details of Italian bank account(s) for F24 payments or refunds
- Records of any advance tax payments already made
F24 payment receipts (if applicable)