Registering UK Limited company in Italy

[freeplatypus]

Hi,

I went through questions about trading from Italy using UK Limited company in the other thread. The outcome is grim and conclusion is greatly discouraging. Effectively: close your UK Limited, set-up Italians Srl or go Sole Trader in either case face contract renegotiation, additional fees and loss of personal and corporate brand.

My last resort: Keep UK Limited and register UK Limited company in Italy.

My accountant says this is not a good idea and almost hinted that cannot be done but I have strong feeling they don't like non-standard clients that actually make them work instead of collecting fee worth nothing more but quarterly VAT fillings.

So maybe here someone can help me with these few questions or point me at vetted accountant/tax specialist that is not afraid of actually working.

1. Can UK company be registered in Italy?
2. If yes, and if company is managed in Italy it is due to pay taxes in Italy, is there any obligation to pay taxes in UK or sufficient to declare that these have been paid in other country with double-taxation agreement?
3. Where is VAT due?

I appreciate that these might be quite complex things but heaving heard that quite a few people here contract from Italy and that there are accountants looking for clients on this forum I will try.

[stek]

Pretty sure you can't register a UK Ltd outside the UK but I stand to be corrected.

This is why I've given up on EU working - too many whatifs/maybes/etc where am I tax-resident, where is my Ltd tax-resident, what with all the extra diligence, fees, accountancy, taxation, travel and mostly lower rates seems a bit of a no-go area for me...

[freeplatypus]

Pretty sure you can't register a UK Ltd outside the UK but I stand to be corrected.

Sorry wasn't clear. I already have UK Ltd company through which I trade at the moment.

[eek]

Sorry wasn't clear. I already have UK Ltd company through which I trade at the moment.

Yep but you can't easily use it as your accountants have already pointed out. As Stek says its just not worth the pain...

[stek]

Sorry wasn't clear. I already have UK Ltd company through which I trade at the moment.

I think there's nothing stopping you opening an Italian branch/office from your UK Ltd. but I'd imagine you'd still need more specialist accountancy/taxation services, whichever way you look at it, you're going to have significantly higher fees in these areas.

I don't think there is a DIY/lo-cost/no-effort solution here.

[freeplatypus]

I don't think there is a DIY/lo-cost/no-effort solution here.

I got to terms with myself that I will have to pay for quality advice/service. That's not problem. I am quite honestly looking for someone here recommend good accountant, tax specialist (I kind of assumed they are present on this forum as well) and also hoped for response from people who actually went through the pain.

I am slowly loosing hope in European tax system (nothing wrong with EU, but the whole 'territorialism' of each and every country is painful).

[stek]

I got to terms with myself that I will have to pay for quality advice/service. That's not problem. I am quite honestly looking for someone here recommend good accountant, tax specialist (I kind of assumed they are present on this forum as well) and also hoped for response from people who actually went through the pain.

I am slowly loosing hope in European tax system (nothing wrong with EU, but the whole 'territorialism' of each and every country is painful).

I just forget EU harmony etc, I don't really think it exists except for individuals rights to free movement, so I\d just treat it as if where any other country in the world, just do everything locally.

[TykeMerc]

I got to terms with myself that I will have to pay for quality advice/service. That's not problem. I am quite honestly looking for someone here recommend good accountant, tax specialist (I kind of assumed they are present on this forum as well) and also hoped for response from people who actually went through the pain.

I am slowly loosing hope in European tax system (nothing wrong with EU, but the whole 'territorialism' of each and every country is painful).

There are a few specialist accountants who post on CUK, but hoping that one is familiar with UK-Italy taxation and company structures is a big reach and hoping that one will post that specialist advice for free is fairly daft.

I'd suggest that you Google the specialists and approach some.

[freeplatypus]

There are a few specialist accountants who post on CUK, but hoping that one is familiar with UK-Italy taxation and company structures is a big reach and hoping that one will post that specialist advice for free is fairly daft.

I'd suggest that you Google the specialists and approach some.

Nobody said free.

Googling for specialist is daft as search results are full of scammers offering quick and easy schemes.

[TykeMerc]

Nobody said free.

Googling for specialist is daft as search results are full of scammers offering quick and easy schemes.

That's where you start the filtering.

The other rational alternative is finding Expat people/forums with people that spend a lot of time in Italy. Italy has never been a big contract market like Belgium, Germany, Holland and Switzerland.