Penny's activity

Having run a shop here I know exactly how expensive it is to do and I doubt very much they are able to order in bulk in any way as it is such a small operation. If you don't like the prices don't use them. I don't want to spend €100 at a time just on Thai ingredients and am happy to spend a little extra and buy as and when I need it. For me it was a very welcome convenience. Personally, I very much hope they do well in what is a very difficult market at a very difficult time. I just wish English people were more like Italians and supported their fellow countrymen. Could you imgine if this were the reverse? Any Italian deli I have ever been to in London is always full of Italians buyng a little piece of home as is the 'Italia' show in London - practically more Italians than Brits at that one!

Plusvalenza (or capital gains tax) in Italy is at 20% on the profit made at the time of sale. I can't see how it would be collected from the sale of your UK property, unless you voluntarily declared it. You need specialist advice from someone who deals in cross-border taxation regarding your partner owning 50% by deed of trust.

Remember that if you are an Italian resident you will have to pay IMU on the value of your UK home at the second home rate (0.76 %) too but you can apparently deduct the cost of your Council Tax paid in the UK so may end up owing nothing. I don't think that anyone knows yet how that will work in practice. You will owe the UK no tax, only in Italy will taxes be due. I believe there is some special Italian tax regime for renting property where you can't deduct your expenses but a fixed percentage of the income. You'd need to speak to an Italian accountant for more details on that one unless someone on here is paying tax in that way.

If you are resident in Italy then Italy will tax you on your worldwide income regardless of where it is earned I'm afraid.

Remember that food in Italy is subject to IVA whereas it isn't in the UK so that's 21% up for starters plus they have to pay to transport it. I don;t think the prices are too bad considering.

Hi Lucy & Gerry. There are no grants only the tax break that Belvedere (& Badger) have described above, for which you must be resident and paying tax in Italy to deduct the amount from your tax bill. If you have a building that has a vincolo (like a listing) with the Belle Arti then in theory you can get a grant off them but I would imagine that would be a long process and involve you using 'their' recommended restorers etc and so cost you more in the long run. You only need to take residency in the comune of Amandola to satisfy the 18 month residency rule so you could rent somewhere while you work on the house. If you don't take your residency within 18 months you get a pretty hefty fine (30%) and have to pay the difference between the 10% purchase tax you should have paid and the 3% you did pay so don't ignore it.

Wish we had a 'like' button Esme! I live up the road from Ventimiglia in Bordighera and it is beautiful and we love it. No accounting for taste I suppose.

For it to be your partner's main residence and therefore get a reduced IMU bill and claim the tax relief (remember this is claimed as tax relief on the income tax you pay in Italy and not a grant) for renovations your partner would need to live here and pay tax here. You can't 'flip' it into his name and assuming you are not married would need to do another deed at the notary I think and pay purchase tax. If you bought with the 'prima casa' reduced rate of tax you (ie not your partner) will have to take residency in Italy within 18 months from the date of the deed otherwise pay back the saving in purhcase tax. If you don't voluntarily pay it back within the 18 months (assuming you haven't taken residency within this period) you will also get a 30% fine plus charges. These things are hard to undo or change once done I'm afraid.

Ram - we only just got here 10 days ago! We have yet to decide whether to change our residency or just our domicile for the first year. If we change our domicile only, we still have to pay the seconda casa rate on the house where we have residency. That was my point. qui già - if only! Actually you always got a discount so the 56 euro was probably after that and as IMU is more expensive than ICI I think you might owe them some more :-)

I think sometimes there is some confusion between the term 'prima casa' and your 'abitazione principale'. Just because you elected to buy the property with 'prima casa' tax reduction and took out residency in the proerty (as per the rules) doesn't necessarily mean it is your 'abitazione principale'. Let me give you an example: We now live in a rented apartment in another part of Italy. I own my house in Amandola (bought it with the prima casa agevolazione) and we currently have our residency there. I cannot pay 0.4% IMU nor claim the €200 reduction as I don't live in it full time any more (despite still having my residency there - we have only just moved). I have to pay the 0.76% instead. Apparently comunes have been advised not to accept families claiming one person lives at one address and their husband/wife at another too. Effectively the reduction is per family. There was a very good article in our local paper with a spreadsheet showing how it is all calculated here.