Moving to Italy ? Don't !

pauldurrant · 2025-09-22T05:40:04+02:00

Discover firsthand accounts on why relocating to Italy may not be ideal for retirees, covering local bureaucracy, taxes, and everyday challenges.

pauldurrant New member

Member since Today 03:40:01

pauldurrantNew memberToday 03:40:04

I would like to think the knowledgeable people (locals and professionals) would advise against deciding to relocate to Italy - especially for a retiree. For me it was the worst decision I ever made back in 2016. I have Pensions and Life Assurance Policies, Stock Markets Shares and other specialist financial products and a couple of foreign bank accounts.聽聽In financially civilized Europe for which neither Italy nor its supposed official Tax聽 Office qualify, to have a couple of bank accounts is called organization - for the Agenzia Delle Entrate it is one way of screwing people for EUR 34.20 per account per year, screwing people for 26% of their interest income on any of those additional accounts, screwing people for 26% of their Dividends on their hard studied stocks and shares, screwing people for a small extra percentage of their remaining income for the embarrassing quality of local road surfaces (craters), screwing people for the same local charges for non existent services such as reliable local travel infrastructure. My advice is to do what the locals do and keep your cash under the mattress. No wonder the country is bankrupt - it is the Italian rules that are breaking the country.

- Comments on Sarah article

- The cause of dying towns and villages in Italy is caused by its own Government.

- The money is allocated in the north where Milan is the financial capital.

- Due to corruption and other back-handers the money runs out after it has reached Rome.

- This explains to the tourist why the hard shoulder and 3 lanes on the autostrada reduces to 2 lanes and perhaps a hard shoulder.

- There is no realistic welfare state in Italy so unless yo have family ytou die.

- Taxation in Italy is an archaic dinosaur dreamed up by people who obviously have no financial acumen, experience or vision.

- Taxation in Italy is causing the country to go further聽 into economic decline / bankruptcy

- The Tax "authority" in Italy is named Agenzia Delle Entrate

- The hours of business and contact terms of this agency compared to other countries is less than poor.

- If you are lucky enough to be answered within a few hours your call will possibly grant you an appointment for a later date.

dtognarelli2 Member

Member since 27 May 2023

dtognarelli2MemberToday 05:59:45

Thank you. I am glad to read about 'reality' rather than the unrealistic joys that come with buying your dream home in Italy. It is certainly disappointing, but I do think that all the websites touting the myriad 'positives' about foreigners owning homes in Italy are not providing a 'true' picture. With common sense, one should certainly be aware of the downsides, but they are never clearly underlined on any of the websites. It would useful to have some articles written by foreigners who have moved to Italy, describing their actual experiences, don't you think?

As a single female pensioner, I have been researching for at least two years on the possibility of buying a small place in Italy. Some of the places on offer on the various real estate websites seem fine with images of the renovated inside, but if you look at the outside of the building and its surroundings, you will be so disappointed. if not shocked by the absolute run-down state of the are. I fear that a substantial amount of money has to be available to actually get a good place in a good location. It is a pity that the southern provinces have such a poor infrastructure because home prices are certainly cheaper but, of course, that is one of the reasons for pricing. To move from a city abroad with reasonable, if not great, bureaucracy, public transport, and good access to shops, PO, doctors etc. to some of the places on offer in Italy is to guarantee that you will be putting yourself in a highly stressful situation, which may be of some duration.

TBH, I wish real estate websites for Italy were rather more 'upfront' than they currently are. But I guess that is not the reason for their existence. To assume that individuals have sufficient funds to visit the locations would also suggest to me that you really do need, I would say, well in excess of 100 000 pounds as a minimum. But that is my opinion only. Perhaps - and hopefully - there are lots of good experiences out there!