Working in Italy? Pay your taxes!By Avv. Michele Capecchi, LL.M.Now that the sun is finally shining and spring has arrived, how sad and boring (you may think) it is to discuss taxes. But believe me, an incomplete tax declaration could make your summer and fall...

Driving in Italy, expat styleBy Avv. Michele Capecchi, LL.M.Some of my American friends who have now lived in Florence for over two years told me recently that they wanted to rent a car to travel across Italy and Europe during their holidays. Everybody dreams about...

By Avv. Michele Capecchi, LL.M.Today is the anniversary of the death of Ashley Olsen, who was brutally murdered in her Oltrarno flat in the early hours of January 8, 2016.On December 22, 2016, in less than one year, the Italian legal system, with all of its limits...

All you need to know before renting (and renting out) a property in Italy


By Avv. Michele Capecchi, LL.M.The Internet is an amazing resource for all those wanting to rent an apartment without the assistance of a real estate agency. However, while the adventure of finding the perfect place for a short- or long-term stay can be rather exciting, the technicalities of both renting and renting out an apartment, especially in a foreign country, present numerous obstacles, not the least of which is a stream of seemingly unintelligible paperwork and legal stumbling blocks. Whether you are a student, tourist or owner planning to rent out a property, it is important to understand the basic elements of short-term residential agreements.

The new law on declaring real estate abroadBy Avv. Michele Capecchi, LL.M.This spring, I wrote an article about the new property tax owed by the owners of real estate property in Italy, called the Imposta Municipale Unica (IMU; see TF 166). Then, just a few...

By Avv. Michele Capecchi, LL.M.Recently, I was asked by a reader how to go about applying for a self-employment visa in Italy. According to the rules of Italian immigration law, citizens coming from countries outside the European Union who want to enter Italy to set...

How to calculate Italy's new property taxBy Avv. Michele Capecchi, LL.M.Notwithstanding the global economic crisis, for many people, investing in ‘bricks and mortar’ was one of the most attractive forms of investment, especially in Italy. In our countryside, as well as in the historical centers...

By Avv. Michele Capecchi, LL.M.Many foreign friends and clients ask my advice on moving their professional or private lives to Italy. Many have had friends whose ‘uncle got all the documents he needed in one month.' What I normally say is ‘good for him.' The...

Safeguard your creativity with copyrightBy Avv. Michele Capecchi, LL.M.In my two previous articles on intellectual property (https://www.capecchilegal.com/protecting-intellectual-property/ and https://www.capecchilegal.com/who-owns-the-hashtags/), I encouraged copyrighting and trademarking. However, not everything that we post on our webpages or social media can be protected as a copyright or a trademark. You simply...

By Avv. Michele Capecchi, LL.M.In the March issue of The Florentine, I outlined the key means of protecting your business’s intellectual property (see the article here). Here, I discuss a specific aspect of safeguarding your business’s distinctiveness: using social media to promote your company’s services and...