Entity Formation in Italy

Ready for a permanent Italian presence? We help you form your company the right way, then stay alongside you for the accounting, payroll, and compliance that follow. Independent advice, including telling you when it is too early.

  • Independent advice
  • Vetted partners
  • Honest timing

What forming a company in Italy means

An S.r.l. (a limited-liability company) is the standard vehicle for a permanent business presence in Italy. Formation requires a notarial deed and registration with the Registro delle Imprese. When you form one, you become the legal employer and operator in Italy, with full control and no per-employee EOR fees, in exchange for the setup time and the ongoing obligations.

01

Your own company

Your own S.r.l. makes you the legal employer and operator in Italy, with full control of employment terms and a local brand presence.

02

Lower cost at scale

No per-employee EOR fees. For permanent, proven headcount, owning the entity is more cost-effective than ongoing EOR arrangements.

03

Setup takes time

Formation typically takes two to four weeks, and you cannot employ anyone until it completes. Timing the move matters, which is why many companies bridge with an EOR first.

How forming a company in Italy works, step by step

From structuring the company to operating it compliantly.

01 — Structure & prepare

We confirm formation is right for you, then prepare the atto costitutivo, check the company name is available, and arrange your registered Italian office address.

02 — Capital & notarisation

The atto costitutivo is signed before a notary, and at least 25% of the EUR 10,000 minimum share capital is deposited (the full amount if there is a sole shareholder).

03 — Register the company

The company is registered with the Registro delle Imprese and Agenzia delle Entrate, and payroll accounts are set up, so you can operate and employ compliantly.

04 — Operate & stay compliant

Business bank account, then ongoing accounting, payroll, filings, and annual reporting, all of which we can run for you.

What forming a company in Italy costs

Two kinds of cost: the one-off formation, and the ongoing operating obligations. Italy’s formation cost is modest; the real commitment is the ongoing compliance. We give you a clear figure before you commit.

Share capital & formation

EUR 10,000 minimum share capital (at least 25% paid in at signing, or the full amount for a sole shareholder), plus roughly EUR 750-900 in fixed registration taxes and fees and a market-negotiated notary fee (typically EUR 1,000-3,000 including tax), landing around EUR 2,000-4,500 all-in.

Corporate tax

24% IRES on net taxable profit, plus IRAP (regional production tax) of around 3.9%, which regions may adjust by up to 0.92 percentage points and which is higher for banks (6.65%) and insurers (7.90%) under the 2026 Budget Law.

VAT (IVA)

Standard rate 22%, with reduced rates of 10%, 5%, and 4% on categories including food, pharmaceuticals, and basic goods. Registration is required from the first taxable supply, with periodic returns once trading.

Ongoing obligations

Accounting, monthly payroll (IRPEF, INPS, and INAIL), VAT and corporate tax filings, and annual reporting, all of which we can manage for you.

Why form your Italian company through Bradford Jacobs

Why companies form a company in Italy through us rather than a one-off formation agent.

We advise you on the best time to incorporate

We are independent: we assess what you actually need, place you with the right vetted partner, secure pricing you will not get going direct, and stay on your side to escalate or renegotiate. You get advice, not a product pitch.

  • Independent advice
  • Vetted partners only
  • On your side at renewal

End-to-end, not just the paperwork

We do not disappear after registration. We stay on for the accounting, payroll, and compliance, so your company runs, not just exists.

  • Beyond registration
  • Ongoing compliance
  • One team throughout

The right specialists, in place

Notary, tax, and accounting partners we have vetted and worked with, coordinated for you, so the process moves and nothing gets missed.

  • Vetted specialists
  • Coordinated for you
  • Nothing gets missed

Two decades of formations

Two decades forming and running entities across global markets, with the local knowledge to keep you compliant and out of the common traps.

  • Company formations
  • Legal & tax partners
  • Traps avoided

We run it after you form it

Formation is the start, not the finish. We stay on for accounting, payroll, tax filings, and annual accounts, so your company operates from day one without you building a local finance function.

  • Full back office
  • Accounting & payroll
  • Annual accounts

The formation trap nobody flags

A growing business hits a good quarter and someone says, let us just set up a proper Italian company. It sounds responsible. It usually is not, yet. Here is what people expect against what happens in practice.

Employment & payroll obligations

Expectation: it takes a few weeks and is just admin. Reality: the notarial deed itself can be quick, but a registered Italian office, the 25% capital deposit, and Registro delle Imprese registration all apply, and you cannot legally employ anyone until payroll accounts are live.

Tax, filing & reporting obligations

Expectation: we can always reverse it. Reality: dissolving an S.r.l. needs a shareholder resolution, creditor notification, and a winding-up (liquidazione) period. And once it exists, the obligations do not stop: annual accounts, monthly payroll filings, IRES/IRAP and VAT returns, and director liability. None of this is a reason not to form the company. It is a reason to do it at the right time, with the right partners already in place.

What we handle for your company

Beyond formation, we can run the full back office for your company.

Compliant payroll

Compliant Italian payroll and employment administration, issued and maintained for you.

Payroll & filings

Monthly payroll run, with IRPEF, INPS, and INAIL calculated, withheld, and filed each month.

Statutory benefits

All statutory benefits administered: annual leave, sick pay, parental leave, notice and severance.

Compliance & support

Ongoing HR compliance and a single point of contact, for the life of the engagement.

Your questions answered

Straight answers on forming and running a company in Italy.

How long does it take to form a company in Italy?

Usually two to four weeks once documents, share capital, and the registered address are in place, longer with any complication. You cannot legally employ anyone until registration completes, which is why timing matters and why many companies bridge with an EOR first.

EUR 10,000 minimum, with at least 25% paid in at signing (the full amount for a sole shareholder). Fixed registration taxes and fees run roughly EUR 750-900, plus a market-negotiated notary fee (typically EUR 1,000-3,000 including tax), landing around EUR 2,000-4,500 all-in. The real cost is the ongoing accounting and compliance, which we can run for you.

Yes. An S.r.l. has no director-residency or shareholder-nationality requirement and can be fully owned and directed by non-residents. You will need a registered Italian office, which we arrange.

Form a company when you have permanent, proven headcount and want full control, and the per-head savings justify the ongoing costs. Use EOR while you are still validating the market or need people working quickly. Most companies start with EOR and form their own entity later. We advise on the crossover.

Accounting, monthly payroll (IRPEF, INPS, and INAIL), IRES/IRAP and VAT filings, and annual accounts filed with the Registro delle Imprese. We can run all of it so the entity stays compliant without you building a local finance function.

Yes, and it is how most companies use us. Beyond formation we provide ongoing accounting, payroll, and compliance, so your Italian company operates smoothly from day one without hiring locally for back office.

Ready to form your company in Italy?

Tell us your plans for Italy and we will tell you honestly whether now is the time to form your company, then handle it end to end if it is, usually scoped within a day. No formation-mill upsell, just the right call.

Tax, company, and labour data verified July 2026 (Agenzia delle Entrate, INPS, PwC). Figures change; we confirm the current position when we scope your formation.