Why does it take so long to get my tax refund in Italy?

Are you planning to file a tax return in Italy or are you waiting to get your tax refund? Here is why it may take basically forever.

It is not a secret that out of the whole EU processing tax returns takes by far the longest in Italy. It is hard to decide which part of the Italian tax system is to blame. It can be a lack of respect for deadlines or a lack of rules. It can be caused by the tax authorities being severely understaffed or not work-efficient. This whole issue is now even more exacerbated by the global pandemic, which brought the Italian government to its knees.

The reality is that whatever request you have, it may take years for the Italian authorities to process it. To give you a perspective – here are some average figures we gathered from different sources who process tax returns in Italy:

• tax return processing (filed on time): 1 year
• tax return processing when filed after the deadline: 4 years
• response to a request: 3 years (if you are lucky and receive one)
• request for change of address on a file: 2 years

So for those hoping to receive a quick response from the Italian tax office: don't expect anything, be pleasantly surprised if something comes out of it. Neotax has professional partners in Italy, who know how the system works very well meaning the chances of us finalizing your agenda is much greater.

Increase your chances of getting a tax refund from Italy by using our services.