Italy Approves New Tax Decree: E-commerce Levy Postponed and Investment Credits Launched

Italy's Council of Ministers approved a tax and economic decree-law on March 27, 2026, postponing a two-euro levy on small-value parcels arriving from non-European Union countries until July 1, 2026, and introducing a 35% tax credit for companies that have submitted investment notifications. The measure was proposed by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Minister of Economy and Finance Giancarlo Giorgetti. The decree, described by the government as containing urgent provisions on tax and economic matters, covers a range of adjustments affecting businesses, consumers, and workers transferring residence to Italy.

Investment bonus opens door to sector consultations The investment support measure is the decree's most significant provision for the productive sector. It provides a contribution in the form of a tax credit equal to 35% of the amount requested, targeted at companies that have already submitted notifications for their development plans. The government announced it would open a discussion table with affected productive sectors in the coming days. The aim of that consultation is to assess, during the conversion of the decree into law, any additional resources that may become available. Priorities for the use of those resources will be shaped by observations received from companies themselves, according to the Palazzo Chigi press release. The government framed the measure as open-ended rather than fixed, signaling room for expansion as the legislative process advances. 35 (%) — tax credit rate for companies with notified investment plans

Parcel tax delay called a technical adjustment for customs systems The postponement of the two-euro shipping contribution applies to goods imported from non-EU countries with a declared value below 150 euros. The government described the delay as technical, aimed at allowing the Customs and Monopolies Agency to complete adjustments to its information technology systems before the charge takes effect on July 1, 2026. A separate postponement in the decree moves the effective date of withholding tax provisions on commissions from March 1, 2026 to May 1, 2026. The decree also changes the effective date of the new VAT regime for exchange transactions, applying it to contracts entered into or renewed from January 1, 2026 onward. Measures adopted previously under the old regime remain valid, and no tax refunds will be issued as a result of the change. Postponed effective dates in the March 2026 tax decree: Two-euro levy on extra-EU parcels (before: Original date (pre-decree), after: July 1, 2026); Withholding tax on commissions (before: March 1, 2026, after: May 1, 2026)

Returning workers and accounting rules round out the decree The decree also updates legal references for the tax regime covering workers who transfer their residence to Italy, with the new rules applying from the 2027 tax period onward. For entities using international accounting standards, the decree establishes how negative goodwill is treated in business transfer transactions. Specifically, the negative difference between the consideration paid and the value of the assets acquired must contribute to the formation of income and production value in equal installments over the fiscal year of the transaction and the following four years. That provision applies from the tax period in progress on December 31, 2024. Additionally, until December 31, 2028, interest arising from bond securities paid to deposit guarantee schemes will be exempt from substitute tax. The breadth of the decree reflects the government's stated goal of balancing support for domestic production with a more gradual approach to taxing foreign goods entering the Italian market. Italy has maintained a complex layered tax system that successive governments have sought to simplify and modernize. The Meloni government, in office since October 2022, has pursued a series of fiscal decrees targeting both business competitiveness and consumer-facing levies on imported goods, particularly in the context of growing cross-border e-commerce from non-EU countries. The two-euro contribution on low-value parcels was part of a broader European and national effort to address the competitive imbalance between domestic retailers and foreign online platforms shipping directly to Italian consumers.