IMU nightmare - what to do?

andyP Image
06/09/2012 - 04:18

We bought our house in 2005, obtained residency within a year and have lived in Lazio as IT residents since. However, last year my mother in UK became gravely ill and we have spent much more time there with her in the last 18 months or so. We come to Lazio occasionally just to maintain the house but not for very long.We have just come back to cut the grass etc. and our neighbour told us about this new IMU tax which apparently has to be paid by next week, at least in part. How on earth are absentees supposed to know about this and are there provisions for unusual situations?We have had no letter or bill or any notification and it seems like a typical Italian bureaucratic nightmare to get it paid. We are supposed to leave tomorrow but there is a mountain of paperwork to sort out before we can pay the tax. What would happen to us if we ignore it for now? OK, we are not thrilled about the extra cost but really we just want to pay it and get out of here. Can we do that?

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Sorry to hear about your situation. Visit your comune with your purchase papers and CF if you have time. If not, then yes they may fine you, but I read elsewhere someone had been told it would be €5 for them... You can actually calculate it here http://www.calcoloimu.it/ and simply pay half now via your bank or the poste... I do believe someone here posted a link to a site telling you how to pay your IMU from outside Italy. 

I know it runs up fees, but in my experience it's well worth using a professional who understands both the Italian and Brit mindset, as well as the tax systems.  I know of two that forum members use: Michael Murphy and Antonio del Gaizo, and there may be others.  Of course everyone's different and if you're resident, fluent in Italian and on chatting terms with the Comune you may not want to shell out for something you feel competent in doing yourself. And of course it may be a bit of overkill to pay a professional just to sort out your IMU.  But if you can't be there and it's stressing you out......

Go on your comuunes website - it should have details of how to pay from abroad.  And they'll have an IMU calculator, all you need is your 'rendita' value   Just done mine with internet banking - relatively simple - 2 payments, 1 to comune bank account and 1 to the state bank account, and send copies of payment details via email to comune.  And repeat in December

I hadn't paid any tax at all since I bought my house in 2006 but have managed to catch up - firstly by paying demands that came through the post (like the rubbish ones do) and then by just visiting the comune for the remaining years.  My Italian is poor but it was easy as they simply entered the address into the magic machine, asked me how much time I spent at the house (non resident) then printed out the F24 for me to take to pay.  I was told by neighbours that fines were not going to be applied this year as everyone is in such a muddle.  Fines tend to be relatively small anyway.  I tried a commercialista but the costs were quite expensive.  Hope this helps. J