🇮🇹 Telling the Truth About Italy
It's always best to tell the truth! Plus, a new tax law, an artsy yet traditional location spotlight with a beachy vibe, and an invitation to change your life.
This week’s issue of Italy PerTe is dedicated, in part, to one of the great cornerstones of philosophy: TRUTH. Before we dive in, we know we have new faces around here so let us give you all a heartfelt benvenuti a tutti! We hope you find this newsletter inspiring, informative, and, most of all, helpful in your pursuit of a new life in Italy!
Tackling deep, philosophical issues isn’t consistent with the nature of PerTe, but sometimes it makes sense to dip our toes in the deep end. As you plan your new life in Italy, you’ll surely notice the copious amounts of information you need to digest — everything from the legalities and logistics to staying in Italy to the intricacies of a new culture. It can be overwhelming. To make matters more difficult, a lot of information readily available on the web can be misleading…and a lot of it is just wrong.
A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on.
-Sir Winston Churchill
This is why it’s important to always check your source. After all, anyone with a keyboard and an internet connection can share their “wisdom” from their corner of the world. Sometimes it’s tempting to believe everything you hear or read because, frankly, it would make your life easier if it were true. Other times, panic unnecessarily sets in after an anonymous poster shares a horror story that may or may not have happened as described.
Smart Move Italy has been helping people successfully move to Italy for years now. We hesitate to say we’ve seen it all because, well, this is Italy, but we’ve seen quite a bit. We know the pitfalls, the obstacles, and the right (and wrong!) way to get things done in a country that seems to always be changing the rules. Of course, ours is not the only reliable voice out there. Still, we’re pretty proud of our track record and we’re dedicated to staying on top of the ever-changing landscape of Italian bureaucracy (as well as anyone can!).
With that, let’s jump into one big question that is circulating in the interwebs right now. Iniziamo!
What’s the Truth? Can Canadians Buy Property in Italy? 🇨🇦 ➡️ 🇮🇹
There is A LOT of chatter about this topic all over the internet – most of it incorrect and/or misleading. The answer is: yes…and no. Our Canadian friends out there are probably familiar with the fact that Italian laws related to buying property work on reciprocity, meaning that if Italians can buy property in your country, you can do the same.
As of right now, Canadian law states that foreigners can buy property in rural areas and small towns, but not in the cities (this ban was set to expire at the end of this year but has been extended until January 2027). So, it makes sense that if a Canadian finds a home in a small town in Italy, all should be good, right? That would be nice (and we’d love it if that were true) but, of course, it’s not so simple.
You see, there’s really no clear-cut, legal definition of a “small town” in Italy so playing the reciprocity card just doesn’t work. Some people are able to find a notaio willing to transfer the deed, and many of them are eager to share their stories in online forums, but they are really rolling the dice. The possible consequences are just not worth it.
You may be wondering, “What’s the worst that can happen?” Well, descendants of the seller could come back and protest the sale claiming their rights to the property, or the deed could be deemed invalid when you try to sell the property because the original transfer was illegal. When you buy property here, you want everything to be on the up-and-up. Taking shortcuts or skirting the laws never pays off in the end.
The good news is that there IS a (legal) path to property ownership for Canucks, but it means obtaining residency first. Yes, this is a long process but it is a valid path. You’ll have to move to Italy, sign a rental agreement, and obtain a permesso di soggiorno (or, of course, you can purchase using another passport if you have one). If you’re able to do this, your dream of ownership in Italy could be a reality.
Location Spotlight - Diamante, Cosenza, Calabria
There are many places in Italy where food, art, and natural beauty collide and Diamante is one of them. This week, we’re shining the spotlight on this bustling seaside town in the province of Cosenza in Calabria.
Diamante’s popularity has exploded in recent years and it’s easy to see why. The town offers a charming blend of tradition, beach vibes, artsy flair, and an atmosphere that is equal parts inspiring, captivating, and slightly addicting. Let’s start with the one aspect of the landscape that you absolutely cannot ignore. No, we’re not talking about the stunning Tyrrhenian coast, we’re talking about the murals.
Walking through the streets of Diamante is like wandering through a living museum. With over 300 murals painted on the walls all around the town, you will never get tired of exploring. You’ll find every genre from pop art to nautical landscapes, portraits to mosaics, and fantasy scenes. This tradition, which started over 40 years ago, gives the town a vibrancy that is sometimes lacking in small, southern villages.
Diamante is also known for hot chili peppers or peperoncini. You’ll see hanging from every corner of the town and if you’re lucky enough to be here in September, you may even catch the peperoncino festival! Yes, they take their spice seriously here.
Of course, this is the Riviera dei Cedri so you cannot miss the beautiful beaches! There’s a good combination of free and paid beaches in the area, both accessible from the town of Diamante and within a short drive either north or south.
Perhaps one of the best characteristics of Diamante is the cost of living. Sure you’ll find some pricy seafront properties but you’ll also find some incredible bargains, especially if you don’t mind putting in a little elbow grease. As an example, check out this 👇🏽large 3-bedroom apartment with a terrace and plenty of original charm. It’s listed at only € 215,000 and comes furnished! Plus, it’s only 50 meters from the main street.
Want to see all the details? Don’t forget to subscribe to Vendita for 30 property picks sent to you every Sunday. To subscribe via email, click here or join our Telegram channel. It’s completely free!
Podcast Corner - Living Like a Local
Don’t get us wrong — we love Rome, Florence, and Venice just as much as the next person, and they’re absolutely worth visiting. But for those of you who are planning to move to Italy one day or simply want to experience a more authentic, laid-back version of Italian life, there’s so much more to discover beyond the big cities.
In this episode of A New Life in Italy podcast, Samantha talks about how you can explore Italy through its smaller towns and off-the-beaten-path villages. She dives into how you can connect with local culture, experience the slower pace of life, and really understand what it’s like to live like an Italian.
To help guide us through this conversation, Sam has two very special guests: Zeneba Bowers and Matt Walker — you may know them from Little Roads Europe. They are experts in finding these little gems, and helping you experience traveling like a local. So, if you are planning your next Italian adventure, or are already here and want to go beyond the IG spots, and get a true account of what the Italian lifestyle is really like, you don’t want to miss this👇🏽episode.
Italy’s Flat Tax to Double 😬
Taxes – perhaps one of the most dreaded topics in all of Italy, especially for those experiencing the Italian tax system for the first time. Taxes can be complicated and really should not be tackled on your own. Just keeping track of all of the laws, which seem to be changing all the time, is a full-time job.
Case in point: Italy just doubled the flat tax rate for high-net-worth individuals. The original flat tax of EU 100,000 was introduced back in 2017 to attract investment, but as of August, the new rate is EU 200,000. This will only apply to people declaring tax residency moving forward so if you fall into this bracket and are already a resident, you can stick with the EU 100,000 rate.
Even if this category doesn’t apply to you, this move on the part of the Italian government highlights the fact that tax laws can change quickly and timing is everything. It also emphasizes the importance of a reliable commercialista to make sense of it all. In our A New Life in Italy private community, we invite experts on various aspects of Italian life to share their insights with our members. For taxes, our go-to guy is Paolo Rigo of Studio Rigo.
Paolo recently shared a video addressing the new flat tax, which you can see here👇🏽.
If you’re interested in being a part of our A New Life in Italy community, membership is open now. It’s actually a great time to join because we’ve just revamped the program and have introduced a ton of new content, including a new and improved Vita Italia course and a packed schedule full of monthly events and masterclasses. Learn more about it in the link👇🏽below.
The More, The Merrier! Welcome to A New Life in Italy.
Last week’s bootcamp was a smashing success! We had more participants than ever before, which is exciting on so many levels. The incredible turnout means that your passion for Italy is still going strong and that our SMI community is growing! We’re so grateful that you decided to show up and hope you found the information valuable. If you missed any part of the bootcamp, it’s still available on replay through our YouTube channel so head over there to get all of the juicy info.
Don’t forget to check out our private community if you’re ready to take your commitment to a new life in Italy to the next level. 👇🏽
With A New Life in Italy, you’re not just getting a plan — you’re getting a proven, expert-designed roadmap that’s already helped others achieve their Italian dream. Want to learn more? Click the link below…and we hope to see you inside.
That’s all for this week. As always, thanks for being here and for being a part of the Smart Move Italy famiglia. A presto!