Maksym Stepanenko
Managing Partner, Crystal Tax
International client projects since 2012: company structures, tax, immigration, DUNS and NCAGE. 50+ jurisdictions.
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Register a company in Italy turnkey as a non-resident: we help you open a company in Italy, form your SRL before a notary, obtain the codice fiscale, PEC and partita IVA, and set up accounting from day one.
Since 2012 · 50+ jurisdictions · SRL with capital from 1 euro · Italian accountants and Ukrainian CFC reporting in one team
Watch the video with chapters and a summary · 1:16
In brief
- To register a company in Italy as a non-resident usually means forming an SRL, a limited liability company; the shareholders and the director can be foreigners living outside Italy.
- You can open a company in Italy only through a notary: the SRL deed of incorporation is a notarial act, and since 5 November 2022 an SRL or SRLS with its registered office in Italy and cash contributions can be formed by video call with the notary.
- The minimum capital of an SRL is 1 euro under Article 2463 of the Italian Civil Code; with capital below 10,000 euro, contributions are paid in cash and in full, and a reserve is built up from profits.
- We handle Italy company formation turnkey: choice of legal form, codice fiscale for the shareholders, powers of attorney, notarial deed, registered office, PEC, entry in the Registro delle Imprese, partita IVA, bank preparation and accounting with partner commercialisti.
- Usually, in our experience, it takes 3–6 weeks from contract to registry entry and partita IVA, and 6–12 weeks including a bank account. The timeline depends on the case, its details, the work of the authorities and force majeure.
Your situation
People open a company in Italy for different goals; pick the situation closest to yours to see the route and the first step.
I am from Ukraine and want to start a business in Italy for EU clients
We register the SRL remotely: codice fiscale through the consulate, a power of attorney or a video call with the notary, a registered office and PEC. At the same time we assess your tax residency and Ukrainian CFC reporting.
Example. The owner of a design studio from Dnipro opened an SRL for contracts with Italian and French clients; Italian accounting and the Ukrainian CFC report are handled by one team.
Discuss this case →I need a company in Italy for trading and importing goods
We form an SRL with a trade activity code, register the partita IVA and an EORI number for customs, and set up e-invoicing through SdI.
Example. A furniture manufacturer from the Zhytomyr region opened an Italian company to sell through dealers in northern Italy with a warehouse in Lombardy.
Discuss this case →I want to move to Italy and run my own business there
A company and the right to live in the country are two separate processes. We register the SRL and, in parallel, review visa and residence permit options with partner immigration lawyers; the Italian consulate and authorities make the decision.
Example. A family of entrepreneurs from Odesa first opened a company and a bank account, then applied for a national visa for self-employment.
Discuss this case →We are two partners choosing between SRL, SRLS and SAS
We compare the forms by liability, articles of association, capital and taxes. An SRLS is simpler and cheaper to form, an SRL is more flexible, and an SAS fits when one partner is ready to be liable with all personal assets.
Example. Two IT consultants chose a standard SRL with 5,000 euro capital so they could set a right of first refusal on shares and exit rules for a partner in the articles.
Discuss this case →We already have an Italian company, the accountant left, letters arrived
We take over the books from the previous accountant, check PEC, reports, returns and F24 payments, close the gaps and take the company on for ongoing support.
Example. A Milan SRL had not filed its annual financial statements and had missed quarterly VAT communications; after the books were restored, the company filed the reports and kept operating.
Discuss this case →We need an Italian SRL as part of a group of companies
We design the structure: who owns the SRL, where it is managed, how dividends are paid and how the double tax treaty between Italy and Ukraine applies.
Example. The owners of a Ukrainian manufacturing group opened an Italian company for assembly and EU sales and calculated the taxes in both countries in advance.
Discuss this case →What turnkey Italy company formation includes
Turnkey company formation in Italy covers everything an SRL needs to start operating: legal form and articles, shareholder documents, the notarial deed, registry entry, tax numbers and accounting. You provide documents and decisions; we do the rest together with our partners in Italy.
Legal form and articles
- Review of your goals: where the clients are, who manages the company, how money will be distributed, and whether Italy or another jurisdiction fits better.
- Choice of form: SRL, SRLS or SAS; capital and shareholdings.
- Company name, ATECO activity code and the business purpose in the articles.
- SRL articles of association tailored to your arrangements: management, share transfers, partner exit and entry.
Shareholder documents
- Codice fiscale for each shareholder and director, including foreigners.
- Power of attorney for signing before the notary, apostille and sworn translation into Italian when the deed is signed without personal attendance.
- For a corporate shareholder: registry extract, articles, documents on signing authority and ultimate beneficial owners.
Notary and registration
- Preparation and signing of the deed of incorporation before the notary in person, by power of attorney or by video call where the form and contributions allow it.
- Payment of capital in the way the law and the notary require; with capital below 10,000 euro it is paid in cash and in full.
- Registered office of the company in Italy (sede legale) and mail handling.
- A PEC address for the company and a separate PEC address for the director, as the law requires.
- Filing through Comunicazione Unica: entry in the Registro delle Imprese, REA number, partita IVA with the Agenzia delle Entrate, and INPS and INAIL where needed.
Getting started
- VIES registration for intra-EU transactions, EORI number for imports and exports.
- Connection to the Sistema di Interscambio to issue and receive e-invoices.
- Bank application pack: business description, source of funds, contracts, website; support with the application until the bank decides.
- Permits and licences for your activity through partners, with our responsibility to you.
Bank account for an SRL with foreign shareholders
The bank account is the part of the launch that depends on the bank's decision. Italian banks check the shareholders, the source of capital and whether the business is real, and often ask for a personal meeting with the director and evidence of activity in Italy: contracts, a warehouse, an office, staff. For the first payments a European payment institution with an Italian or European IBAN is sometimes more practical, with a move to a traditional bank later, once the company has turnover and financial statements. We choose a bank that fits your profile, prepare the pack and the answers to the compliance questionnaire, and if the application is declined, we look at the reason and apply to another institution.
After registration
We handle bookkeeping, reporting and taxes with partner accountants in Italy; see the accounting section below. For owners who are Ukrainian tax residents we prepare reporting on controlled foreign companies.
Accounting and reporting in Italy
An Italian SRL must keep accounting records, issue e-invoices through the Sistema di Interscambio, file VAT reports and tax returns, and file its bilancio with the Registro delle Imprese every year. The books are usually kept by a commercialista, an accountant and tax adviser listed in the professional register; we work with Italian partners and are responsible to you for the result.
What the company keeps and files
- Bookkeeping. Double-entry accounting, the journal, the inventory book, VAT registers for issued and received invoices, storage of electronic documents.
- E-invoicing. Invoices between Italian residents, including invoices to private customers, are issued in XML format through the Sistema di Interscambio.
- VAT. Monthly or quarterly VAT settlement, quarterly LIPE communications and the annual VAT return, filed between 1 February and 30 April of the following year.
- Corporate income tax and IRAP. The Modello Redditi SC and IRAP returns are filed by the end of the tenth month after year end, for a calendar year by 31 October. The balance of tax is paid by the end of the sixth month, advance payments in two instalments.
- Annual financial statements. The shareholders' meeting approves the bilancio, which is then filed with the Registro delle Imprese in XBRL format within 30 days of approval.
- Employees. If there is staff: payroll, INPS and INAIL contributions, annual employer reports.
How we do it
Italian bookkeeping is done by partner accountants in Italy, while we collect source documents and questions and talk to you in English, Ukrainian or Russian. One team tracks the deadline calendar, F24 payments and replies to PEC letters. The Ukrainian side, including the owner's tax residency, the CFC report and dividends, is prepared by the same team, so the figures in Italy and Ukraine match. For a structure across several countries we add the international company accounting service.
We can also prepare financial statements in Italy for a company that is already operating: we take over the books from the previous accountant, check the reports already filed and close the gaps.
How long it takes to register a company in Italy
Usually, in our experience, it takes 3–6 weeks to register a company in Italy from contract to entry in the Registro delle Imprese and the partita IVA, and 6–12 weeks for the full launch including a bank account. The timeline depends on the case, its details, the work of the authorities and force majeure.
- Analysis and choice of form: we give an assessment within one working day after a short description of your goals.
- Codice fiscale for shareholders: through the Italian consulate in the country of residence; timing depends on appointments and the consulate's workload.
- Power of attorney, apostille and translation: when signing takes place without personal attendance, this is usually the longest preparatory step.
- Notarial deed: scheduled by the notary after the documents are checked and the capital is paid in.
- Registration: the notary files the deed with the Registro delle Imprese, and through Comunicazione Unica the company receives its REA number and partita IVA.
- Bank account: the bank checks the owners, the source of funds and the business model and may ask for more documents.
Official processing times of the authorities cover only the review of a complete application. Time for shareholder documents, apostille, translation and the bank's checks comes on top, so we give you a realistic time to launch.
It usually takes longer when the shareholder is a company from a third country and documents are needed for the whole ownership chain, when a shareholder's passport was recently replaced, or when the activity requires a licence. We point out such issues on the first call.
Cost to register a company in Italy
We calculate the cost to register a company in Italy individually: it depends on the legal form, the number of shareholders and what you need beyond the SRL itself.
- Legal form: SRLS with standard articles, SRL with bespoke articles, or SAS.
- Number of shareholders and directors, their countries, and whether codice fiscale, powers of attorney, apostille and translations are needed.
- Whether the shareholder is an individual or a company, and whether a multi-level structure is needed.
- Signing method: in person in Italy, by power of attorney or by video call.
- Registered office, mail handling, PEC.
- Licensed activity, EORI, VIES, employees.
- Number of bank applications and the complexity of the business profile.
- Accounting in Italy and Ukrainian CFC reporting after registration.
Notary and government fees, registration tax on the deed and stamp duty are paid separately at official rates; we state the amount in advance for the chosen form. For an SRLS with standard articles the law exempts the incorporation from the notary's fee. We also estimate annual maintenance, including the address, PEC, accounting and reports, up front so that the first-year budget is clear before registration. Describe your task in a few sentences and we will assess the work within one working day. For a detailed review there is a 30-minute consultation for 100 euro.
Why clients trust us to register a company in Italy
Five reasons business owners open a company in Italy with us.
In business since 2012
We work in 50+ jurisdictions; we know the requirements of Italian notaries, chambers of commerce, the Agenzia delle Entrate and banks from our own cases.
We deal with authorities, notaries and banks
Correspondence with the notary, the Registro delle Imprese, the Agenzia delle Entrate and the bank, and replies to their requests, are our job. You provide documents and decisions.
We see the case through to the result
If the notary, the chamber of commerce, the tax office or the bank sends remarks, we address them at no extra charge.
One team for the whole structure
Company, address, PEC, bank account, Italian accounting, taxes and Ukrainian CFC rules, with no need to find separate contractors.
Contract and confidentiality
We work under a contract, and the confidentiality terms are written into it.
How to register a company in Italy: our process
Company registration in Italy takes six steps, and at each one you know what is needed from you.
- Goals and legal form. You describe the business; we propose the legal form, capital, shareholdings and tax set-up, taking Ukraine into account.
- Contract and documents. We sign the contract, collect passports, and arrange the codice fiscale, powers of attorney, apostille and translations.
- Articles and capital. We draft the articles and the deed of incorporation, agree them with the notary and arrange payment of the capital.
- Notarial deed. The deed is signed before the notary in person, by power of attorney or by video call; the notary files it with the registry.
- Registry and partita IVA. Through Comunicazione Unica the company gets its entry in the Registro delle Imprese, a REA number and the partita IVA.
- Bank and accounting. We prepare the bank pack, connect e-invoicing through SdI and set up the reporting calendar.
Documents to open a company in Italy
To register a company in Italy a non-resident needs a passport, an Italian codice fiscale and, when signing without personal attendance, a power of attorney with an apostille and translation into Italian.
From each shareholder and director
- International passport.
- Codice fiscale; if you do not have one, we arrange it through the Italian consulate.
- Proof of residential address and contact details.
- Power of attorney for a representative before the notary, if the shareholder does not sign the deed in person or by video call.
- For a video call with the notary: a qualified electronic signature and a device with a camera.
If the shareholder is a company
- A recent registry extract, the articles and a resolution to take part in the Italian company.
- Documents on directors and ultimate beneficial owners.
- Apostille and sworn translation into Italian.
About the business
- Description of the activity, main clients and countries.
- Source of capital and expected turnover, useful for the notary and the bank.
- Contracts or preliminary agreements and a website, if you have them.
What you receive
- Deed of incorporation and articles certified by the notary.
- An extract from the Registro delle Imprese, the visura camerale, with the REA number.
- The partita IVA and the company's tax number.
- PEC addresses for the company and the director.
- Access to e-invoicing and a reporting calendar for the first two years.
Reference: SRL, SRLS and SAS compared
For a non-resident the main form is the SRL. An SRLS suits a small business owned by individuals, and an SAS suits a partnership where one partner manages and is liable with all personal assets.
| Criterion | SRL | SRLS | SAS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liability of members | Limited to contribution | Limited to contribution | General partners are liable with all assets, limited partners up to their contribution |
| Capital | From 1 euro; from 10,000 euro contributions can also be in kind | From 1 to 9,999.99 euro, cash only | No minimum |
| Who can be a member | Individuals and legal entities | Individuals only | Individuals and companies; we check company participation separately |
| Articles | Bespoke or standard | Standard only, approved by the ministry | Bespoke partnership agreement |
| Notary | Required | Required, with no notary's fee | Notarial form of the agreement required |
| Income tax | IRES at company level | IRES at company level | Profit taxed at member level |
With SRL capital below 10,000 euro, contributions are paid only in cash and in full, and at least one fifth of net profit goes to a reserve until the reserve and the capital together reach 10,000 euro. For capital of 10,000 euro or more an SRLS does not fit, and a standard SRL is needed. SRL formation in Italy is the simplest route for a foreigner: registering an SRL in Italy does not require the members to be resident. SAS registration in Italy is rare for foreigners, since a general partner has to accept liability with personal assets.
Reference: company taxes in Italy
| Tax | Rate | What matters |
|---|---|---|
| IRES, corporate income tax | 24 percent | In some years temporary incentives apply to reinvested profit; we check whether they apply for the specific year |
| IRAP, regional tax on productive activities | Base rate 3.9 percent | Regions may raise or lower the rate by up to 0.92 percentage points; the tax base differs from profit |
| VAT, IVA | 22 percent | Reduced rates of 4, 5 and 10 percent for certain goods and services |
Dividends to a non-resident owner are subject to withholding tax; for an owner from Ukraine the rate is reduced by the double tax treaty between Italy and Ukraine, and we calculate it for the specific structure. If the SRL owner is a Ukrainian tax resident and controls the company, reporting obligations arise under the Ukrainian CFC (controlled foreign company) rules.
Reference: mandatory SRL requirements in 2026
- Notarial deed. The deed of incorporation of an SRL or SRLS is drawn up by a notary. Since 5 November 2022, under Legislative Decree 183/2021, an SRL or SRLS with its registered office in Italy and cash contributions can be formed by video call through the platform of the National Council of Notaries, with the members' digital signatures; the ministry's standard articles may be used optionally.
- PEC. The company must register a PEC address, certified electronic mail, with the Registro delle Imprese. The director, whether sole director, managing director or chair of the board, must have a personal PEC address separate from the company's; for existing companies the deadline to report it expired on 31 December 2025.
- Codice fiscale. Required for every shareholder and director; foreigners living abroad obtain it at the Italian consulate in their country of residence.
- Comunicazione Unica. A single electronic filing with the Registro delle Imprese registers the company in the registry, with the Agenzia delle Entrate for the partita IVA, and with INPS and INAIL where needed.
- Beneficial ownership register. The obligation to report beneficial owners to the titolare effettivo section of the Registro delle Imprese is suspended because of litigation. On 21 May 2026 the EU Court of Justice ruled in favour of the lawfulness of the Italian rules, and on 23 July 2026 Legislative Decree 122/2026 implementing the sixth EU anti-money laundering directive entered into force, yet the register remains suspended pending a decision of the Council of State, with the first hearing set for May 2027. As of September 2026 reporting beneficial owners is voluntary; we follow the changes and will file the information when the obligation returns.
- Annual financial statements. Filed with the Registro delle Imprese within 30 days of approval by the shareholders' meeting, in XBRL format.
Reference: a business in Italy and the right to live there
Owning a company in Italy does not by itself give a non-EU citizen the right to live in the country. That requires a national visa followed by a residence permit; for entrepreneurs there is a self-employment visa, including a separate track for startups. The Italian consulate and authorities make the decision.
Conditions, quotas and documents change, so we cover this question separately on the page residence permit in Italy and in our business relocation service. You can also open a company without moving: the director and shareholders may live in another country if the company's management and tax residency are planned in advance.
Italy fits when you need clients and partners in the EU, manufacturing, trade or life in the country. If the goal is only access to the EU market without a local presence, we compare Italy with Poland and other countries as part of our company registration abroad service.
How to get started
Describe your task in a few sentences: what the business does, who the shareholders are and where the clients are. We reply within one working day, and on a free 10-minute call we tell you whether a company in Italy suits you and which form to choose.
Other services
Sources
Agenzia delle Entrate: VAT general rules and rates; Agenzia delle Entrate: annual VAT return for businesses; Agenzia delle Entrate: the Codice Fiscale; Registro Imprese: Comunicazione Unica d'Impresa; Camera di Commercio di Genova: forming an SRL and SRLS by video conference; Camera di Commercio di Genova: filing financial statements; Camera di Commercio di Cuneo: beneficial ownership (titolare effettivo); Camera di Commercio di Vicenza: PEC digital address of directors; Normattiva: Decree-Law 1/2012, Article 3, simplified SRL; PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries: Italy, taxes on corporate income. Checked: 27.09.2026.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a foreigner register a company in Italy?
How long does it take to register a company in Italy?
How can I open a company in Italy without travelling?
What is the minimum capital for an SRL in Italy?
How does an SRLS differ from an SRL?
When does registering an SAS in Italy make sense?
What taxes does a company pay in Italy?
Is PEC mandatory for the company and the director?
Do beneficial owners have to be reported to the registry?
What reporting does an SRL in Italy file?
Does a company in Italy give a residence permit?
How much does it cost to open a company in Italy?
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