police checking unofficial tourist "houses" owned by brits

featured in the newspaper Il resto del Carlino on the 1st september 2012.reads :The carabinieri of Tolentino have started a series of controls on the legality of numerous country houses and holiday homes which are rented out prevalently to foreign guests for brief periods.The first checks carried out in the area of Sarnano and Gualdo concerned four holiday villas property of british citizens.The carabinieri found in these country villas all fully restored with swimming pools and every comfort entire families of british touristswho had booked their holidays contacting directly the respective owners to whom they had paid sums of up to Euro 2.000. per week by bank transfer directly to the owners British bank accounts.The police checks brought to light administrative and PENAL irregularities imputable to the owners.In fact none of whom was complying with the obligations of article 32. of the Regional law n°.9/2006 and article 109 of the public security law which oblige the owners to comunicate to the municipalty and the police the period of activity and the lists of guests etc.Each owner has received a fine and has been denounced to the judicial authorities for further actions.As far as the fiscal aspects are concerned further investigation is under way.the article in italian can be found at www.ilrestodelcarlino.it/macerata/cronaca/2012/09/01/766076-controlli-country-house

I read it too Sebastiano, it appears there will be investigation into their liability for paying tax on their earnings in Italy...its been a long time coming.

Good timing now the seasons over now

I dont think the fact that the season is ending (for some) has any bearing, it seems from the article that the Italian authorities have had access to UK bank accounts, which we have always been aware of.

'the Italian authorities have had access to UK bank accounts' ????? We do not have any paying guests at all so it doesn't effect us but I do find this somewhat hard to believe?! S

Why should you?...EU sharing of banking information when they think a possible fraud has been commited.

Unless the bank accounts are National Savings where there is a convention there is no access to foreign bank accunts. The information would have been obtained by looking through the papers when they 'raided' the properties. They have jealous neighbours. Nothing new there.

Now, IMO, if the proprietors of these rented out holiday homes are resident in the UK, and are declaring their income from the rentals to the UK tax authorities, they are in the clear ficscally. (This does not mean they are in the clear friom the point of view of the Italian legislation which governs renting out holiday homes). However, the assertion that there is no access to 'foreign' bank accounts is a bit too reassuring, and, IMO, incorrect. A lot of stuff has changed recently (and I think it is wrong, but it has happened - we are all supposed to believe it is legislation against money laundering and drug runners - and I am certain nobody reading this thread falls into these categories) but the sort of observance and information sharing has got pretty scary for anyone assuming they won't get caught out. That's all. I'm not going to offer tax avoidance advice; just would like to say keep yourself daily updated if you fancy chancing your arm. And be wary of bar-room lawyers on internet forums!

it emerges that the police questioned the guests..who explained that they had dealt directly (thru internet) with the owners and that they had paid them directly on UK bank accounts (not that they had actually looked at those accounts) but that nothing had transited on italian banks was evident.The main issues were,as said, the laws regarding the numbers and identities of the guests staying,the fact that this info had not been comunicated to the municipal and police authorities as required,that they period(S) of activity or when the pemesis was open had not been comunicated to the municipal authorities ( because there are limitations on the number of days per annum that a house can be "rented out") the penal consequences they did not specify.whilst the fiscal consequences (which are a bit of a grey area) are being followed up.