Company Formation Cost and Timeline in Italy

What It Costs to Set Up a Company in Italy

Every company formation in Italy involves two types of fees: statutory government charges set by law, and variable professional fees charged by notaries and accountants. The table below separates these for an SRL and an SRLS so you can budget for each independently.

Table 1: Company Formation Cost -- SRL vs SRLS

Note: The share capital deposit is not a business expense. It becomes the company's working capital after formation. The totals above exclude share capital.

The share capital figure may look like a cost, but it is yours once the company is incorporated. A standard SRL requires you to deposit at least €2,500 at signing (25% of the €10,000 minimum capital), while a single-member SRL requires 100% upfront. The key takeaway for budgeting: government fees alone are similar for an SRL and an SRLS; the major savings with an SRLS come from eliminating the notary professional fee.

Government Fees vs Professional Fees: What Is the Difference?

Statutory fees are set by law and apply the same way regardless of which notary or accounting firm you use. These include the tassa di concessione governativa (€309.87/year, Agenzia delle Entrate), the imposta di bollo (€16 per 100 pages of company books), diritti di segreteria (€25 per book), and the Registro Imprese filing charge. The diritto annuale (€100/year for turnover up to €100,000 in 2025) is paid to the Camera di Commercio annually.

Professional fees, by contrast, are set by each practice. Notary fees for an SRL typically range from €2,000 to €3,500. For an SRLS, the notary professional fee is eliminated by statute under Art. 2463-bis CC, because the law prescribes standard, unalterable bylaws. However, SRLS membership is restricted to natural persons -- no corporate shareholders are permitted.

Annual Recurring Costs After Formation

Formation is a one-time event, but several costs recur every year. Plan for these when budgeting your Italian company for year two and beyond.

Table 2: Annual Recurring Costs (SRL, post-formation)

The accountant retainer is the largest variable in the annual budget. Transaction volume, number of employees, and complexity of operations all affect the cost. For a simple holding or consulting company with low activity, the lower end of the range is more realistic.

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SRL vs SRLS: Cost Comparison

An SRLS does cost less to form than a standard SRL, but the saving comes with real structural constraints. The notary professional fee drops to zero under Art. 2463-bis CC, because the Italian legislature pre-drafted the SRLS bylaws and made them inderogable (non-negotiable). That removes one large variable from the formation budget.

Government fees, however, are identical for both forms. The tassa di concessione governativa, the imposta di bollo, and the Camera di Commercio fees are the same. So the net difference in upfront cost is roughly the notary professional fee saved: typically €2,000–€3,500.

For most foreign investors, that saving is outweighed by the constraints. Key SRLS limitations to consider:

• Natural persons only. An SRLS cannot have a corporate entity as a member. If your structure involves a holding company or another legal entity as a shareholder, the SRLS is not available.
• Standard bylaws, no customization. The bylaws are fixed by law. You cannot add protective provisions, specific transfer restrictions, or bespoke governance rules.
• Cash contributions only. Contributions must be in cash; in-kind contributions are not permitted for SRLS formation.

For a detailed comparison of the two forms, see our page on the differences between an SRL and an SRLS.

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How Long Does It Take to Set Up a Company in Italy?

For a non-resident founder, expect 8–12 weeks end-to-end. An Italian-resident founder can close in 2–3 weeks under ideal conditions. The difference comes down to preparation time (Codice Fiscale, apostilled documents, Power of Attorney) and, above all, bank account KYC for non-residents.

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Phase-by-Phase Timeline for a Non-Resident Founder

Table 3: Phased Formation Timeline (Non-Resident / Foreign Founder)

Bank account KYC is almost always the critical path item for foreign founders. The notary deed, Registro Imprese filing, and Comunicazione Unica can be completed in under two weeks once preparation is done. But Italian banks routinely take 4–8 weeks to complete due-diligence checks on non-resident applicants. Online banking providers may reduce this to 2–4 weeks.

For an SRLS, phases 3–7 are identical. Phase 2 may be faster since the bylaws are pre-drafted by law. Phase 1 is shorter if no bespoke bylaw translation is needed.

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The Formation Process: Key Legal Steps

Understanding the legal mechanics behind the timeline helps you see where time is gained or lost. There are four core steps under Italian law.

1. Notarial deed (atto costitutivo and statuto). Incorporation requires a public deed signed before a notary (Art. 2463 CC). The notary prepares the deed, certifies it, and collects the required share capital deposit. Multi-member SRLs with capital of €10,000 or more must pay at least 25% (€2,500) at this point (Art. 2464 CC). A single-member SRL must pay 100% in full.

2. Registro Imprese filing. The notary deposits the deed electronically with the Registro delle Imprese within 10 days of signing (Art. 2330 §1 CC). The Registro Imprese processes the filing and issues the incorporation certificate, which marks the legal birth of the company.

3. Comunicazione Unica. This single electronic filing, submitted at the Registro Imprese at incorporation, simultaneously triggers registration of the Partita IVA (form AA7/10 via Agenzia delle Entrate), INPS (social security), and INAIL (workers' compensation). The Partita IVA is issued the same day or the next business day (Agenzia delle Entrate, confirmed). VAT registration itself is free.

4. Bank account and PEC. After incorporation, a corporate bank account must be opened. For foreign founders, allow 4–8 or more weeks for KYC/AML onboarding. The company must also activate a PEC (certified email) address, mandatory under Law 207/2024 . Company books must be stamped at the Camera di Commercio before use.

For a full walkthrough of these steps, see our guide to the step-by-step formation process and the documents and requirements for company formation.

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What to Know About Capital Requirements

Share capital is often misunderstood as a cost. It is not an expense; it is an asset of the company that belongs to the company from formation.

A standard SRL requires minimum share capital of €10,000 (Art. 2463 §2 n.4 CC). In a multi-member SRL, at least 25% must be deposited at signing; the rest may be called in later. A single-member SRL must deposit 100% at formation (Art. 2464 CC).

Italian law also allows a reduced-capital standard SRL with capital between €1 and €9,999 (Art. 2463 §4 CC). This is a regular SRL (not an SRLS) and comes with two important conditions: the full amount must be paid in cash at formation, and the company must allocate at least 20% of annual net profits to a legal reserve until the combined capital and reserve reach €10,000 (Art. 2463 §5 CC). This 20% reserve obligation is frequently misreported as 5%; the correct figure is one-fifth.

Single-member SRLs carry an additional risk. If the sole member does not pay in the full capital at formation, or fails to complete the required publicity filing under Art. 2470, the limited liability shield can be pierced for company debts (Art. 2462 §2 CC).

The SRLS is a separate legal category governed by Art. 2463-bis CC. While it also has capital between €1 and €9,999, its members must be natural persons. It is not interchangeable with the reduced-capital standard SRL.

For a deeper explanation of capital rules, see our overview of the Italian SRL.

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How We Help with Company Formation in Italy

We coordinate the complete formation process for foreign founders: obtaining Codice Fiscale for directors and shareholders, liaising with the notary on the atto costitutivo, filing the Comunicazione Unica for Partita IVA and social security registrations, and guiding you through the bank account process in Italy.

From our practice, non-resident founders benefit most from end-to-end coordination. Scheduling conflicts between PoA authentication, notary availability, and bank onboarding are the most common source of delays. Handling these in sequence, with clear deadlines at each stage, keeps the 8–12 week window realistic.

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