Liguria, Italy

At a glance

For an EU-citizen family of five living off a €30M portfolio, the guide's default reader. The interactive guide recomputes everything for other passports and situations.

Score for a wealthy family

72 / 100

Can EU citizens live here?

free: register as an EU citizen

Can US citizens live here?

income of €31,000 a year · Elective residence visa

Other passports

income of €31,000 a year · Elective residence visa

Tax on a €30M portfolio

€183,330 a year · Family holding company (S.r.l.) with participation exemption

Wealth tax

limited

Children inherit

low tax

Living costs, family of five

€356,878 a year

EU member

yes

Currency

EUR

Tax on investments, inheritance and wealth

Liguria: no regional difference for the family's taxes. Capital gains, dividends and interest of a private investor taxed at the 26% imposta sostitutiva (or withholding as final tax), IVAFE, IVIE and inheritance tax are national and identical in this region. The regional IRPEF surcharge (addizionale regionale, 1.23% base rate, raised by many regions) and the municipal surcharge apply only to income in the progressive IRPEF base (reddito complessivo, art. 50 D.Lgs. 446/1997), not to investment income under the 26% substitute tax; they matter only for salary, pension or other ordinary income.

• Ordinary tax residence: Worldwide taxation. Financial income (dividends, interest, capital gains) is taxed separately at a 26% substitute tax (12.5% on Italian and white-list government bonds), not at progressive IRPEF rates (23-43% plus regional/municipal surcharges).
• Lump-sum tax for new residents (Art. 24-bis TUIR): Optional substitute tax on all foreign-source income: EUR 300,000 per tax period for individuals transferring residence to Italy from 1 Jan 2026 (art. 24-bis(2) TUIR as amended by L. 199/2025; EUR 200,000 for transfers from 11 Aug 2024, EUR 100,000 before). Each included family member pays EUR 50,000. Replaces income tax on foreign income and gains (except gains on qualified holdings realised in the first 5 tax periods), IVAFE and IVIE, and foreign asset reporting. Italian-source income taxed normally. Ceases 15 years after the first tax period of validity (art. 24-bis(4)); revocable. During the option, inheritance and gift tax on transfers by the opting person is due only on assets located in Italy (art. 1(158) L. 232/2016).
• Family holding company (S.r.l.) with participation exemption: The family holds its listed shares through an Italian S.r.l. (IRES 24%). Dividends are 95% excluded from IRES (art. 89 TUIR) and gains on shares are 95% exempt (PEX, art. 87 TUIR) if held 12 months, booked as financial fixed assets in the first balance sheet and issued by a company outside privileged-tax states: 1.2% effective, with no minimum stake. The 2026 Budget Law (L. 199/2025, art. 1 c. 51-55) had limited both to stakes of 5% or EUR 500,000; art. 11 DL 38/2026 (converted by L. 88/2026) repealed those limits with effect from 1 January 2026. The holding must pass the non-operating company test (presumed revenue 1% of the securities' value, three-year average); a low-yield portfolio that fails pays IRES at 34.5% on at least a deemed 0.75% of that value. Bonds, funds/ETFs and shares sold within 12 months are taxed at the full 24%, so the advantage covers only the directly held shares kept as a long-term book. Payouts bear 26%. Inheritance is unchanged (4% above EUR 1m per child).

Income tax for employees and remote workers

National IRPEF is 23% to EUR 28,000, 33% to EUR 50,000 and 43% above. With the Lombardy regional surtax (1.23% to 1.73% by income) and the Milan municipal surtax (0.8%, exempt below EUR 23,000) the marginal rates in Milan are about 25% to 45.5%. Employees pay 9.19% pension contributions; the self-employed (Gestione Separata, VAT number, no other cover) pay 26.07% up to a cap of EUR 122,295.

How to get residence

EU citizens only register. Non-EU citizens (US and others) can use the investor visa (from EUR 250,000 in a start-up), the elective residence visa (about EUR 31,000 a year of passive income, no work) or, since March 2026, a digital nomad visa (about EUR 28,000 a year).

Citizenship: 10 years of legal residence for most non-EU nationals (4 for EU citizens per general knowledge), with Italian language (B1, general knowledge) and integration requirements; the investor visa does not shorten it. Citizenship by descent was tightened by Decree-Law 36/2025 (converted into Law 74/2025).

Inheritance law and trusts

Children, a spouse and parents are protected by fixed shares (for example half of the estate for one child). A foreign resident can choose the law of their nationality (EU Succession Regulation art. 22), though Italy's reserved heirs may use a clawback in some cases. Italy recognises trusts under the Hague Convention but has no trust law of its own; private foundations are limited.

Daily life, scored out of 100

From public indicators (World Bank, UNDP, Transparency International and others); higher is better.

Residence and succession sources

• Italy Golden Visa 2026: requirements, costs and how to apply — Grey Group
• Italy digital nomad visa: complete guide 2026 — Remote Work Europe
• Elective residency visa Italy: eligibility, income rules 2026 — Global Citizen Solutions
• Italian citizenship changes take effect — EIG Law
• Why do so many people think you can't have Italian dual citizenship — The Local Italy
• Your Europe: Residence rights in another EU country — European Union
• Italy's Investor Visa: legal framework and investment pathways 2026 — Frankvest
• Italy elective residence visa 2026 FAQ — Italian Citizenship Assistance
• European e-Justice: Succession, Italy — European e-Justice Portal
• Regulation (EU) No 650/2012 on succession — European Union
• HCCH status table: Convention of 1 July 1985 on the Law Applicable to Trusts and on their Recognition — Hague Conference on Private International Law