Italian tax return: Modello Unico 2026 and 730/2026 complete guide
The 2026 Italian tax return season concerns income earned during 2025: it is one of the most important fiscal appointments of the year for millions of Italian taxpayers. Filing the 730/2026 or the Modello Redditi PF correctly means understanding the updated deadlines, choosing the right form, identifying all available deductions and reliefs, and knowing the consequences of errors or non-filing. This complete guide — updated April 2026 — answers the most common questions clearly and practically.
Modello 730 and Modello Redditi PF: the fundamental differences
In Italy, individuals can file their income tax return using two main forms. The choice between them is not entirely free: it depends on your income type and employment status.
Modello 730
The Modello 730 is the simplified form, designed primarily for employed workers and pensioners. Its main advantage is how tax adjustments are handled: if the return shows a tax credit (i.e. you overpaid), the withholding agent (your employer or INPS pension authority) pays the refund directly in your pay slip or pension payment, normally from July. If the return shows a tax liability, the amounts are automatically deducted from your salary. It is also possible to opt for the 730 “without a withholding agent”: in this case, if the return shows a tax credit (refund) the Revenue Agency will pay it directly. If a tax liability emerges, the amounts must be paid via Form F24 according to the ordinary deadlines of the Modello Redditi (30 June for the balance and first advance — 30 November for the second advance).
Who can file the 730:
- Employed workers with an active contract at the time of filing
- Pensioners
- Members of production and service cooperatives, agricultural cooperatives and first-processing cooperatives
- Those receiving income replacement allowances (wage integration funds, mobility allowances)
- Catholic clergy
- Constitutional judges, parliamentarians, and other elected officeholders
The 730 is filed either through an authorised intermediary (CAF tax assistance centre or accountant) or directly in pre-filled form on the Revenue Agency portal.
Modello Redditi PF (formerly known as Unico)
The Modello Redditi Persone Fisiche (commonly still called Unico) is the standard form, required in all cases where it is not possible or appropriate to file the 730. In particular, the Modello Redditi must be used by:
- VAT-registered persons (freelancers, sole traders, self-employed workers under the ordinary or simplified regime)
- Those who have miscellaneous income not subject to withholding at source
- Those filing for a tax period of less than 12 months
- Those who produced income abroad
- Non-residents of Italy
Unlike the 730, with the Modello Redditi any tax liability must be paid directly by the taxpayer via Form F24 by the applicable deadlines, and credits can be offset or refunded but not via payroll.
Who must file a tax return in Italy
The declaration obligation does not apply to all taxpayers. In general, a tax return must be filed by anyone who in 2025 received income for which there is no exemption and which exceeds certain thresholds.
Those typically required to file include:
- Employed workers who had more than one employer during the year, or who received additional income not taxed at source
- Pensioners with income in addition to their pension
- Freelancers and VAT-registered persons under the ordinary regime (always required)
- Those who received property income (land, buildings) exceeding the exemption limits
- Those who received capital income not subject to a final withholding tax
- Those who received income from foreign sources
- Those who hold bank accounts abroad
- Those who hold assets abroad
- Those who receive rental income, whether standard, flat-rate (cedolare secca), agreed-rent (canone concordato) or short-let
Who is exempt from filing
There are situations in which it is not necessary to file a return. The main exemption cases for IRPEF purposes:
- Those who had a single employer who made the withholdings and whose total income does not exceed €15,000, with a primary residence and related appurtenances
- Those with only pension income below €7,500 (€8,000 for survivor’s pensions) with a primary residence
- Those with only employment income below €8,500 from a single employer
- Those with exempt income (study grants, war pensions, etc.) or income subject to final withholding tax (e.g. bank account interest)
- Those with only building income derived exclusively from the primary residence and any appurtenances (garage, cellar, etc.)
- Those with only property income (land/buildings) not exceeding €500 per year
Even if not required, filing may still be advantageous in order to recover tax credits, claim family allowance deductions, medical expenses or other deductible costs.
2026 deadlines: all the dates to note
Filing deadlines for tax year 2025 (returns filed in 2026) are as follows:
Modello 730/2026
- Through intermediaries (CAF, accountants): by 30 September 2026
- Pre-filled form on the Revenue Agency portal: by 30 September 2026
- Amended 730: by 25 October 2026, if you need to correct an already-filed return
- Pre-filled 730 available: from May 2026 on the Revenue Agency portal
- Standard 730: tax adjustment in the payslip from July (or August for pensioners)
- 730 without withholding agent — payment of tax (balance and first advance): by 30 June 2026 (or by 30 July with a 0.40% surcharge). Second or sole IRPEF advance: by 30 November 2026
Modello Redditi PF 2026
- Electronic filing: by 31 October 2026
- Payment of the IRPEF balance and first advance: by 30 June 2026 (or by 30 July with a 0.40% surcharge)
- Second or sole IRPEF advance payment: by 30 November 2026
For taxpayers filing the 730, tax adjustments are handled by the withholding agent from July onwards (credits) and in instalments spread between July and November (liabilities exceeding €100).
IRPEF tax rates 2026: the three-bracket reform
Following the tax reform that came into force in 2024 and confirmed for 2026, IRPEF is now structured on three income brackets instead of the previous four:
| Income bracket | IRPEF rate |
|---|---|
| Up to €28,000 | 23% |
| From €28,001 to €50,000 | 35% |
| Over €50,000 | 43% |
Compared to the previous system, the second bracket (formerly 25%) was eliminated and the corresponding income merged into the first bracket at 23%. This delivered a real tax saving for those with income between €15,000 and €28,000, who previously paid 25% on income in that range. Employment and pension deductions were simultaneously adjusted to balance the reform’s impact on lower incomes.
The pre-filled 730: how it works
Since 2015, the Revenue Agency has made available each year a pre-filled 730 (730 precompilato) containing the taxpayer’s fiscal data already entered by the tax authority. For 2026, the form will be available from May 2026 on the Revenue Agency portal, accessible via SPID digital identity, CIE electronic identity card, or CNS national service card.
The pre-loaded data comes from various sources: income data is reported by withholding agents (CU — Unique Certification), while data relating to deductible and allowable costs is transmitted by the relevant reporting parties. For example, the pre-filled form will contain medical expense data (transmitted by healthcare facilities, pharmacies and hospitals), school fee data (transmitted by educational institutions), mortgage interest data (transmitted by lending institutions), data on accident or life insurance policies (transmitted by insurance companies), extraordinary condominium expenditure (transmitted by building administrators) and so on.
How to check and accept the pre-filled form
Before accepting the pre-filled 730/2026, it is essential to verify the data entered:
- Check that all income received in 2025 is correctly shown
- Verify deductible expenses: not all expenses are automatically transmitted to the Revenue Agency. Cash payments, expenses for which the transmission system is not active, insurance reimbursements — these data may be missing or incorrect.
- Check property cadastral data
- Verify data regarding dependants
If the pre-filled form is correct, you can accept it without changes: in that case, if the return is consistent, Revenue Agency documentary checks cannot be extended to data provided by third parties (a significant benefit).
If you make changes, the return is considered modified and the benefit of limited audits is lost for the modified data.
If you rely on a CAF or accountant for filing, the intermediary assumes responsibility for the certificate of conformity and, in case of errors, is liable to the Revenue Agency in the first instance.
Main deductions and allowances
Correctly identifying all available deductions and allowances is often the most important part of the return: it can make the difference between paying additional tax or receiving a refund.
The main Tax deductions (subtracted from gross tax)
Medical expenses: deductible at 19% are general medical expenses, specialist visits, pharmaceutical costs, hospitalisation, medical devices and prosthetics, glasses and contact lenses. The deduction is calculated on expenditure exceeding the fixed threshold of €129.11. Medical expenses must be paid by traceable means (bank transfer, card, etc.) to be deductible, except for the purchase of medicines and medical devices, and services provided at NHS-affiliated facilities.
Interest on primary residence mortgage: deductible at 19% are interest charges and accessory costs on mortgages taken out for the purchase of the primary residence, up to a maximum of €4,000 in interest (maximum deduction €760).
Education expenses: deductible at 19% are university fees, fees for registered private schools (with varying amounts by school level), rental costs for students living away from home.
Insurance premiums: deductible at 19% are premiums for life and accident insurance (up to €530 for life policies, up to €750 for long-term care policies).
Renovation bonuses: expenditure on residential building renovations is deducted in equal instalments over 10 years. The applicable rates depend on the year in which the expenditure was incurred and the type of work, according to legislation in force at that time.
Charitable donations: contributions to ONLUS charities, amateur sports associations and other non-profit bodies benefit from a 26% deduction (or a deduction from income, depending on the type).
Family dependants: deductions are available for a dependent spouse, calculated on a decreasing scale as income rises. For children up to age 21, the assegno unico (universal child benefit) has replaced income tax deductions; for dependent children aged over 21, tax deductions still apply.
The main Deductions from income (subtracted from gross income)
Compulsory social security and welfare contributions: fully deductible (INPS contributions for artisans, traders, Gestione Separata, contributions to professional pension funds).
Voluntary pension contributions: payments to supplementary pension funds and individual pension plans (PIP) are deductible up to €5,164.57 per year.
Maintenance payments to former spouse: fully deductible (the portion for the ex-spouse, not for the children).
Cadastral value of primary residence: deducted from gross income, together with any appurtenances.
How refunds work from the 730
If the 730/2026 shows a tax credit (meaning you paid more tax than you owed), you are entitled to a refund.
The standard mechanism is that the refund is paid by the withholding agent (your employer or INPS) directly in your salary or pension payment. For those filing the 730 through an intermediary, refunds typically appear from July 2026 (for returns filed by June) or in later months for later filings.
If you have no withholding agent (for example, because your employment contract has expired), the refund is paid directly by the Revenue Agency, normally within the year but with variable timing.
To speed up the refund process, especially for significant amounts, it is useful to include your bank account details (IBAN) in your personal Fiscal Drawer (Cassetto Fiscale) on the Revenue Agency website.
Form F24 for those with tax to pay
Those filing the Modello Redditi PF or the Modello 730 without a withholding agent who have a tax liability must independently pay the amounts owed via Form F24 (Modello F24).
Form F24 can be filed:
- Through Revenue Agency online services (F24 web, Fisconline, Entratel)
- Through your bank’s online banking service
- At a bank branch or post office (only for amounts not involving offsets)
The main IRPEF tax codes for payments are: 4001 (IRPEF balance), 4033 (first IRPEF advance), 4034 (second or sole IRPEF advance).
Payment of the balance and first advance is ordinarily due by 30 June 2026. You may pay by 30 July 2026 with a 0.40% surcharge. The second advance (or sole advance if you are not required to pay the first) is due by 30 November 2026.
Any taxpayer who needs to may request instalment payment: the balance and first advance can be spread in monthly instalments from June to November, with interest of 0.33% per month applied to instalments after the first.
What happens if you do not file
Failure to file an income tax return is not a minor irregularity. The consequences depend on the amount of tax owed.
If there is no tax due (nil or credit return): The penalty for non-filing ranges from €250 to €1,000. It can be reduced to a quarter if the return is filed within 90 days of the deadline.
If there is tax to pay: The penalty ranges from 120% to 240% of the tax owed, with a minimum of €250. These penalties are in addition to legal interest on the unpaid tax.
Voluntary correction procedure (ravvedimento operoso): If you realise late that you have not filed or made errors, the voluntary correction procedure allows you to regularise your position with reduced penalties. Within 90 days of the deadline, the penalty for non-filing drops to 1/10 (i.e. €25). For unpaid taxes, penalties are reduced proportionally to the speed of regularisation.
Note: the voluntary correction procedure is only available as long as the Revenue Agency has not already initiated an assessment procedure against the taxpayer.
Frequently asked questions about the Italian tax return
Do I need to declare a foreign bank account?
Yes. Italian tax residents are required to disclose in their tax return, in section RW of the Modello Redditi PF or section W of the Modello 730, all investments and financial assets held abroad. This includes current accounts, deposits, shareholdings in foreign companies, and property. The threshold above which the declaration obligation applies for foreign accounts is €5,000 average annual balance. Failure to complete section RW is penalised at variable percentages of the value of the undeclared assets. When foreign investments generate income, the relevant sections must also be completed: RM, RT, RL (in the Modello Redditi PF) or sections M, T and L (in the Modello 730).
Can I deduct veterinary expenses?
Yes. Veterinary expenses are deductible at 19% for the portion exceeding the threshold of €129.11, up to a maximum expenditure of €550 (maximum deduction approximately €81). These expenses must also be paid by traceable means to be deductible.
I sold a property in 2025 — do I need to declare it?
It depends. If you sold the property at least five years after purchase (or construction), any capital gain is not taxable. If you sell before five years, the capital gain (the difference between sale price and purchase price, accounting for documented expenses) is subject to ordinary IRPEF or, alternatively, to a 26% substitute tax (applied by the notary at the point of the transaction). The sale of a primary residence, regardless of the five-year rule, does not generate a taxable capital gain provided the seller had their residence in the property for the majority of the period between purchase and sale.
I received an inheritance in 2025 — do I need to declare it?
An inheritance itself does not constitute income and does not need to be declared for IRPEF purposes: there is a specific inheritance tax (imposta di successione) that is handled separately. However, if the inherited assets include property, from the date of acceptance of the inheritance (or the death of the deceased) any rental income or cadastral values must be declared by the heir in their own tax return. Similarly, if shares in companies are inherited, dividends received after the succession are income for the heir.
What is the most important IRPEF change for 2026?
The IRPEF bracket reform — in force since 2024 and confirmed for 2026 — reduced the rates from four to three: 23% up to €28,000, 35% from €28,001 to €50,000, and 43% above €50,000. This represents a real saving for those earning between €15,000 and €28,000, who previously paid 25% on income in that range.
Have questions about your specific situation? Contact the firm — Studio CITI snc in Milan assists you with your 730/2026 and Modello Redditi with professionalism and attention to every detail.
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