New land tax?

But nothing came up - can you not speak to another local Geometra?

I've just emailed my architect to ask him I'd suggest speaking to your commune too

I think there is some confusion here. I've no idea if or why the architects want the land, but it is possible they are not talking about a tax, but a survey (for catastal purposes), which might well cost you €2000 in geometra fees. There may well be a deadline for getting this survey in, and there may well be a fine if you fail to meet the deadline. The only semi-translation I can come up with for survalenza is sorveglianza. This could fit in with my offered theory above, although the more usual word for a 'survey' carried out by a geometra is rilievo. Sorveglianza translates more closely to surveillance, and I have seen it used to refer to catastal (land registry) aerial surveys spotting (generally) buildings which need their paperwork put into order.

I think this may be a way of 'Pressure Selling' or them trying to put the frightners on 'Johnny Foreigner' into parting with the land ASAP!

Sounds like they're trying it on to me. Unless its a provincial thing, there is no new national law in the pipeline like this.

Very many thanks to each of you who tried to help and who responded to my query about a ? new land tax. I subsequently contacted Antonio del gaizo picchioni - who advertises on this site. Antonio was very helpful and recognised the situation immediately. Quite why we were given the wrong title for the tax by the architect is a mysery but it is Supervalenza Patrimoniale (Capital Gains Tax). We learned that there is currently a tax break which expires on 30 June. Under the scheme Antonio says "you can apply to have your land revalued, with payment of fixed rate of tax of 4% on the revalued sum. This means that when you sell (the land) the revalued sum is used in place of the original purchase price. The potential tax savings are considerable : the rate of CGT in Italy runs from 23% to 43%. My husband doesn't want to get rushed into anything (architect could have told him about this many weeks ago) and yes, they are trying to 'bully' us. The firm has already bought up 50% of the family land at very low prices (sadly from rather hard up members of the family) for a housing project and they are keen to get hold of my husband's tranche, as it would provide much the best access to the site. Unfortunately in the current financial climate they are not ready to commence building so I fear the game of 'cat and mouse' will go on!

You are eligible for plusvalenza or cgt if you sell your land within 5 years of purchase. The scheme you have found about about mpust be at regional level - as far as i am aware itnis certainly not national, so i wonder whethernit is one of the post terremoto measuresnto free up land for new build, instead of rebuilding existing property,

This scheme does seem to be a national one (which of course ends today). It started on 1 July 2011 and the document we now have with the details is headed " Meno Imposte sulla Cessione di Terreni". It doesn't look as though I'm allowed to post attachments to this site so if anyone would like full details please PM me with an email address. Apparently these tax breaks come up every so often. One way of the state getting some tax income in advance. Anyway we did it - by the skin of our teeth - using a different architect - and have a document signed by a Giudice di Pace!

Wrote a reply this morning but it seems to have disappeared. Glad you're sorted - that's the most important thing. Our architect thought it might be plusvalenza as per Rams suggestion but seems like it was something else - does sound like a bit of bullying - I'd keep hold of it as long as you can as if he really wants it you might get more than it's worth and that would be fab :)