Here are all the instructions to understand how to open a business in Italy. Let’s see all the steps to follow and the necessary fulfillments.
Many wonder what are the main steps to follow to open a business in Italy. Often there is confusion about what are the various steps necessary for setting up a business.
This is a procedure that involves a series of administrative obligations, starting from the opening of the VAT number, up to the registration of your company in the Register of Companies kept by the competent Chamber of Commerce territorially.
To try to clarify what is the procedure to follow, we see below step by step how to open a branch in Italy and which are the bodies to contact.
How to start a business in Italy? Open a VAT number
All those who intend to start a business must first open a VAT number.
The VAT number is basically a code made up of 11 numbers: the first 7 numbers connect the VAT number to the taxpayer who owns it, while the following three identify the code of the Revenue Office, the last number finally has a function control.
To open a VAT number, you must notify the Inland Revenue of the start of your business, within 30 days from the first day of business, by means of a specific declaration written on model AA9 / 7 if you want to open a sole proprietorship or the model AA7 / 7 if you want to start a company.
These models can both be downloaded from the Revenue Agency website.
At the time of the opening of the VAT number, it will also be necessary to choose the ATECO code of the activity that you intend to carry out and the type of accounting regime that can be either flat rate or ordinary accounting.
Opening a VAT number has no cost, but you have to consider the maintenance costs, which can be substantial. For new activities, it is recalled that a flat-rate regime is currently in force, which allows you to benefit from reduced taxation in the first years of operation.
For more details we recommend reading -> Open VAT number: how to do it and how much does it cost?
The administrative procedures necessary to open a business
In addition to opening the VAT number, it is necessary to fulfill other administrative procedures required for setting up a business.
There are different ways to go depending on whether you want to set up an individual company or a company.
If you want to start an individual company, or a company where the activity is carried out by a single owner who is the only person responsible for the management, you will need, in addition to requesting the VAT number, requesting any licenses or making any communications, if required by law.
For example, these are requests to be made to the Municipality, to the Local Health Authorities, etc., to report the start of the activity to the competent CCIAA and to proceed simultaneously with the report to the INPS.
It will also be necessary to proceed with the registration to the INAIL.
The Unique Communication
It is possible to comply with the administrative procedures to open a business through a single communication to the Business Register.
This communication must be made exclusively electronically and contains all the tax, social security and insurance information that must be sent to the various entities.
The “Single Communication” therefore proposes a single administrative process, to be submitted electronically to the Business Registry office only, which includes all the obligations, thus simplifying the mandatory corporate and public administration communications.
What changes if you want to open a company?
If you intend to set up a company, you will have to follow the same rules that apply to setting up an individual company, but adding an important extra step.
In companies, unlike sole proprietorships, ownership of the enterprise is divided among several people (except for the exception of joint-stock companies).
In order to set up a company, therefore, in addition to reporting the start of activity at the competent CCIAA, requesting the VAT number and carrying out the further mandatory obligations, the deed of incorporation and the statute must be drawn up by the notary (only the deed of incorporation in the case of simplified Srl).
