Job Discussion Forums

[johnnybgood]

Hi everyone,

Regarding the "regime dei minimi", my "accountant" (an assistant at ASCOM) informed me that, as of 01/01/2012, it isn't necessary anymore to insert the "ritenuta d'acconto" (20%) in the invoice....... what does that mean exactly???? My clients don't pay the tax anymore? I pay it? Nobody pays it? Do I need to continue billing with that tax in mind or can I charge less because the tax doens't exist anymore?

Has anyone out there got their head round the changes? I had to ask a client the other day to let me send him the invoice with a 2011 date because I was unsure of the changes for 2012!

All the best for a wonderful 2012 :- [

[Teacher in Rome]

I don't know anything about the regime dei minimi - perhaps you should ask your accountant for more details. But I do know the IVA rate has gone up to 21%.

Be careful with predating invoices - my accountant always asks me which were paid by the beginning of the year or not. This affects how much tax etc you pay for the preceding year.

[johnnybgood]

Thanks for the reply. I see that you're in a completely different P.Iva range! I opened mine in May 2011, so I'm not that familiar with the whole process yet. I was advised by the "accountants" at ASCOM to open it under the Regime dei Minimi because it's a more simplified and convenient way to manage a P.Iva. There's no need for an accountant, just take all your invoices and spendings to them in April and they do the accounts for a small fee. All sounds great. Problem is there's a �30K limit per year. 2011 was fine because I only started in May so I definitely didn't go over the limit. I'm not sure about 2012 though. They claim that even if you go a bit over, it doesn't change much...... hmmm.

Anyway, I put up this post because in December there were talks of reducing the taxes for those under Regime dei Minimi from 20% to 5% (great!!!) and now they've decided that it isn't necessary to include it at all in the invoice (why?). I spoke to my "accountant" yesterday who informed me that it's just a simple matter of me having to pay all the taxes the following April, she's not sure though exactly what percentage that will be (not so great).

Yes, speaking to an accountant about these things would obviously have solved everything but an accountant costs money. As you can see from my situation I don't really have one!

Thanks for the warning about predating invoices. I was already aware that the taxes would be paid in 2012, my concern was about not making mistakes in the format of the invoice.

The only thing I'm worried about now is reaching the �30K limit before December and what really happens if I go over....more taxes obviously!

[Teacher in Rome]

I was on the Regime dei Minimi one year, and my accountant told me that if I went over by even as much as a cent, the entire thing was off! I'd have to pay normal taxes for the whole amount (not even only those that came in over �30K). Since the prospect of that was too stressful (and, like you, I had no idea whether I would get there or not - I didn't!) - I went back to the original system.

As far as I know, the regime dei minimi gives you other benefits - lower tax to invoice, less complicated paperwork etc etc. But I'm happier on my normal system, as the accountant takes care of it all - at a cost. It is a pain - I've just had to submit last year's inter-Europe invoices - and of course, I have to submit quarterly VAT invoices as well as everything else.

But, my accountant saves me money. If I don't have money to pay all the tax in one go, or all the INPS in one go, he sorts out the staged payments. He's also queried varied tax demands, balanced one thing against another and saved me money... In short, I'd be totally screwed if I didn't have an accountant to keep me on the straight and narrow!

The new rules are a bit confusing. What used to happen is that you deducted 20% tax on your invoice, so that when tax payment time rolled around, you'd already paid most - if not all - of it. Then based on what you'd earned Jan - Nov, they decided what you should pay as a forward tax / INPS contributions. But if you're worried about going over your max, perhaps you could hold off the invoices in December... Might be a solution.

[johnnybgood]

Thanks for the advice, very helpful.....and very frightening! I guess I'll just have to see how it goes this year. If I see that I'm reaching the limit way before the end of the year then it'll be time to have a word with a proper accountant, finally!

[Teacher in Rome]

Incidentally, seeing as you're up in Trieste, how are you finding it there? Someone I know here told me Trieste was fabulous... It's always been a place I've wanted to visit.

(You're probably making a good living up there if you're worried about going over the max - that is an encouraging sign!)

[johnnybgood]

Hahaha!!! More of an exaggerated sign! I think I'm just worrying too much but, living under Italian bureaucracy,I think you can never be too safe!

I've been living around the Trieste area for many years and love it. It isn't one of the top Italian destinations but I've always found it a curious place (culturally, historically, and geographically seaking), definitely worth visiting the town and the surrounding area.