sebastiano's activity

just before the whole thing disappears inside (it) i'd just say; first of all i never slag off people who are working...i know that sounds very "fifties" but i believe in that and wish them( with the food shop i mean) the best of luck...it won't be easy. personally i don't care much for processed foods marmite/hp sauce and whatever..but certainly don't make a crusade out of it... i like people doing what the f++k they like. as regards italian attitudes towards food ( this has been gone into a few trillion times on this site) a lot of people are comparing attitudes in extremely rural corners of this country(italy) against a "whats avaialble in London" scenario, whilst backward very rural areas in the UK ( see Scotland/mid wales etc) are certainly not beating the gastronomic tap dance and most things are NOT there.There are so many fantastic "ethnic" restaurants in Italy probably NOT where you are and i had the best indian food in my life in Milano ( better than what i'd had in the UK, India & Pakistan) Prices/VAT etc is all a bit boring but i'd certainly expect to pay premium prices if i suddenly felt the need to consume marmite/custard/sauces/beans etc from the UK in a small shop in this area. thats it folks.

it's perhaps a little late in the day given that your (final) departure is imminent-no? Actually the actual "moving" is pretty easy (one imagines that you'll have already organized electricity-telephone- internet-water connections/contracts for your house as these can take time...especially if you are not sited in a town) You'll need to register with the authorities if you're going to be resident means a trip (or ten) to the local municipalty...to the police you'll need to have your permit to stay....to the health authorities to enroll on the S.S.N.N. the national health system and choosing a local doctor, if you're not working you'll have to produce documentation concerning your financial situation and depending, a private health insurance.One presumes that you'll already have a bank,but would recomend a local bank which can offer home banking facilty.Apart from services to the house which you'll require from day one the other things you can do without a rush once here and having picked up some more detailed info from local people and you'll probably find a number of british es pats who can help you with some advice However if you will be working get your advice from those who work as life is very different for those who work and who are not here "on a pension" or the like. wish you best of luck.  

IF, as you are presumably are, a non resident abiding in the UK and paying tax there also on any incomes deriving from your property in Italy,you shouldn't have problems.As far as any taxation in italy is concerned apart from I.M.U. on the house itself .You may have in order to conform to italian law provide passport/id document details of your guests ,these in theory must be written out on the appropriate forms available in any office stationary shops, and handed in to your local comune within 24 hours of guests arrival or,at worst before their departure.Should you be an italian resident being most of the time here then the whole story changes and with that taxation on your letting too.

IF you have a home banking facility from your italian bank then you can find in the menu the modulo F.24 and pay it on line.i pay all taxes,social security etc this way.

i rarely tip in restaurants unless there has been some particular situation or the designated person has been especially attentive/efficient/extra kind etc and is NOT the owner or family member of the owner.I t isn't necessary and most more important restaurants in bigger cities have already included your service charge etc.I know a number of restaurants where the waiters ( real ones not just plate carriers) earn EXCLUDING tips over Euro 1.300 per month ( paid 13 months per annum + 28 days paid holiday pension and social security etc:TAXI drivers are self employed and do very well and also one is not obliged to tip AND i make a distinction btween tipping and keep the small change.Anyone who tips the dentist perhaps ought to be seeing a physco instead if you must at least tip the young receptionist or assistant if she's nice  

Most,if not all Italian banks,offer this facility nowadays.My personal recomendation ( because the choice of bank can be very important) would be to use your local B.C.C bank which would probably be called the B.C.C. celano...This is the network of cooperative -credit banks which are by statute closely linked to the local communities.Our experience has been (after years of the big banks) very positive.Despite their apparently local "aspect" they have an excellent on line banking service i do all my banking on line and pay gas,electricity,telephone,internet and several other things by direct debit.Their site is extremely safe,these banks offer all normal debit/credit card facilities, i regularly make bank transfers abroad,receive monies from abroad and their bank charges are modest comparitively with the big banks.They,we have seen are more attentive to your "local" needs like loans for house repairs and similar and are generally people friendly their on line banking has both German and English mode.  

there is a "huge" group on it in italy called italian reflections (there must be a hundred or more on it) but that is not the issue (i think) despite being "in it" i can't say that i like it (facebook that is) it's very invasive tends constantly to self gratification (try going against the grain!) for all it's defects at least in here (italymag) one can choose as to whether to open it, take a look,comment,leave and...dare one say it disagree! whereas with facebook you get whatever people have in their head when theywake up in the morning thrown in yer face (facebook?) like a constant torrent, something someone found in the net,their cats, the music they once liked,where they are now,where they went yesterday,last nights party and so it goes on..personally i prefer  sites like this and others which permit greater reflection and comment..anyway was a thought...buti suspect i'm a minority opinion nowadays.

well done Maurice ,i hadn't seen that one.Tim Parks writes well and more importantly in a balanced manner.I agreed with most of what he wrote..being still very actual.Unlike many other commentators  both Italian or foreign (including many of the comments which followed the article) seem to choose "a chair"(sometimes a pulpit) from which they proceed to "address" the "italian question".From my experience these either tend (almost immediately) to start "explaining Italy" (sometimes from the holy roman empire,those who prefer the renaissance,the risorgimento,or the fascist period.Or those who prefer to insist on their perception of regional differences in order to conclude that italy doesn't (or never existed)Or that the country/people display such peculiar traits that it was/is/always will be unreformable.I have to say( all this with modesty) after having spent most of my life in this country and having met workers,terrorists,politicians (Andreotti,Berlusconi)important business people (Agnelli,Bulgari and others)having always worked here,been a company employee,manager,tax payer,now with my own business,having visited the entire country fronm the alps to islands from cities to remote countryside i personally believe that Italy exists (and perhaps interestingly)believe that will be able to change (not necessarily within the period of this government)but it will change and it will be for the better.Watch this space i think people will be suprised over the next ten years (per lo meno la speranza è l'ultima a morire!)  

our neighbours are in your situation so the wife is registered as a resident but the husband who still has a UK business is not and continues to pay uk tax although they still have a property there.that could be a solution ...

as far as i am aware both countries have a concept (though different) of residence, equating with a number of days a year you live in a place as opposed to another country.So (maybe theoretically) if you are a full time resident here then you would be liable for italian taxation . i think you ought to speak to someone like john murphy (you'll find his name and contact details coming up on similar thread questions here,he is an accountant familiar with both systems and professional advice would be essential. as far as capital gains tax is concerned (it hits in here only before 5 years from purchase) i very much doubt that HMRC would give you any reimbursement/ credit for capital gains paid here in italy concerning your questions worries about education.firstly i'd say you have plenty of time given the age of your children.The kindergarten -primary and middle school education in Italy is,on the whole considered very good.As far as secondary is concerned could depend much more on where you would live in the big cities in the north it can be very good and there are alternative possibilities of international schools ( english schools/german/swiss etc some excellent) by the time uni would be an issue they'll be big enough and presumably with two/three languages could choose (consider germany too for that)