Opening a Partita IVA doesn’t automatically mean charging standard IVA — most new freelancers start under the regime forfettario, a simplified flat-tax scheme.
Last updated: June 2026
Most new Italian freelancers open a Partita IVA under the regime forfettario — a simplified scheme for individuals with annual revenue up to €85,000, which involves a flat substitute tax rather than standard IVA and income tax, and crucially, you don’t charge IVA on your invoices at all under this regime. Once you exceed €85,000 (or in some cases €100,000, triggering immediate exit), you move to the regime ordinario, where you charge standard 22% IVA like any other VAT-registered business.
Your relevant revenue (ricavi/compensi) is your gross business income, not profit. If you freelance on the side of full-time employment, your salary generally doesn’t count toward the forfettario threshold, though there are separate conditions relating to prior employment relationships that can affect eligibility for the regime itself — check current rules if you’ve recently left an employer you now freelance for.
The regime forfettario offers a much lower effective tax rate (a flat substitute tax, often 15% or a reduced 5% rate for the first 5 years for new activities, applied to a notional profit percentage rather than your full revenue) and significantly simpler bookkeeping — no need to charge, track, or remit IVA. The trade-off is you cannot reclaim IVA on your business purchases, and some larger B2B clients occasionally prefer suppliers who charge standard IVA. Most freelancers find the forfettario regime meaningfully more favourable while eligible.
No, one of the defining features of the regime forfettario is that you do not charge IVA on your invoices — your invoice includes a specific note referencing the regime instead.
You transition to the regime ordinario, at which point you begin charging standard IVA (generally 22%) and take on standard IVA compliance obligations, potentially from a specific point during the year depending on how the excess arose.
Yes, the regime forfettario is generally optional even for those who qualify — some freelancers with significant reclaimable IVA on business costs choose regime ordinario deliberately.
No, you pay a flat substitute tax (imposta sostitutiva) on a notional profit percentage of your revenue, generally at a meaningfully lower effective rate than standard income tax and IVA combined, but it is not tax-free.
No, one of the trade-offs of the regime forfettario is giving up the right to reclaim IVA on business purchases, unlike the regime ordinario.
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