Buy a property in Italy – costs to face!!

When you buy a property in Italy, what are the costs of the commission for the real estate agency?

If you buy a house through a real estate agency, the commission due to the agency is around 3% of the purchase price + 22% VAT. Once the owner of the property has informed the applicant of the acceptance of the proposal, the transaction is considered concluded for the agency (according to art. 1755 of the Italian Civil Code), with the consequent right to receive a commission.

Generally, then, the 3% + VAT is not divided between seller and buyer, but both will pay 3% + VAT each.

Registration tax – Mortgage tax – Cadastral tax:

These are the 3 main taxes to be paid when buying a property, together with other minor taxes.

The “declared cadastral value” in the notarial deed represents the basis of assessment on which these 3 taxes are applied and which may currently be lower than the market value of the property.  But the rule of “cadastral value” does not apply to all transactions; in fact, for example, if the buyer buys not as a “private”, but as a “company”, the basis of assessment for taxes will be calculated from the commercial price of the property.

When you buy a property in Italy, the costs of these three taxes to be paid varies depending on the type of property and the type of buyer and seller:

• A) Purchases subject to proportional registration tax (i.e. those in which the selling party is: a private individual; or a company that has not built or renovated the property; or a company that has built or renovated the property for more than 5 years and does not exercise the VAT option):

1. Registration tax
– first house: 2% (always to be calculated on the cadastral value);
– second house: 9% (to be calculated on the cadastral value if a private individual buys, or to be calculated on the declared price in that moment if a company or a natural person buys as owner of a sole proprietorship or as a professional);
The registration tax can never be less than €1,000.
2. Fixed mortgage tax: 50 euro;
3. Fixed cadastral tax: 50 euro.

• B) Purchases subject to VAT (i.e. those where the selling party is: the company that has built or renovated the building for less than five years; or the company that has built or renovated the building for more than five years and is currently exercising the VAT option):

1. VAT
– first house: 4% (always to be calculated on the price declared);
– second house: 10% (to be calculated always on the price declared );
– luxury building: 22% (to be calculated on the price declared);
2. Fixed registration fee: 200 euros;
3. Fixed mortgage tax: 200 euros;
4. Fixed cadastral tax: 200 euro;
5. Fixed registration tax: 230 euro;
6. Fixed mortgage fee: 35 euros;
7. Fixed conversion fee: 55 euros.

This summary scheme is valid as a general rule, but before buying a property is always good to verify the exact amount of taxes to be paid to avoid unpleasant surprises afterward.

When you buy a property in Italy, what are the costs of the notary fees?

In most cases, notary fees are paid for the preparation of the notarial deed. But they can also be required for the preparation of the preliminary contract, if the parties prepare the compromise through the figure of the notary, who will then register the original on file.

The amount varies from city to city and is calculated based on the declared value of the property, but is generally similar, at least for notarial sorting.

Other expenses:

These may include, for example:

• legal fees;
• surveyor or architect to inspect the property;
• costs of translating documents into your own language;
• costs of furnishing the house.

If you are willing to buy a property in Italy try to remember the costs and and the expanses we listed in this post, and feel free to get in touch for more info!

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