What is an ISEE? (And 2023 Bonuses!)

If you’re living in Italy, and especially if you have a family or are looking into purchasing a home, you might have heard noise about the ISEE and various government bonuses. Every year the government evaluates the financial status and looks for ways they could assist citizens. The bitter resident in me says why not just have us pay less taxes, rather than giving them back to us in bonuses, but hey, it is what it is! And truthfully these bonuses can really help out some people. So let’s have a look at what exactly and ISEE is and what bonuses you might qualify for in 2023.

The Italian ISEE?

In Italy, ISEE stands for “Indicatore della Situazione Economica Equivalente”, which is a tool used to assess the economic situation of Italian families. It is a means-tested evaluation that determines a family’s ability to pay for services such as university fees, healthcare, social welfare benefits, and housing subsidies. The ISEE calculation takes into account factors such as the family’s income, assets, and number of family members. It is used to determine the amount of assistance that a family is eligible to receive from the Italian government. You can apply for one here. Or get in touch with your local CAF or Patronato.

Applying for Bonuses and Incentives in Italy

In order to apply for many bonuses and incentives, you will probably need to sort out your SPID, to log on. Nearly every bonus can be applied for via either the INPS or Agenzie delle Entrate website, however, each has a different process. While some are decently straightforward and come with an instruction manual. Others are not so intuitive and you may want to seek out the help of a local CAF or Patronato.

What Bonuses are available in 2023?

Asilo Nido & Assegno Unico: To help out families, there are two very useful bonuses, the Assegno Unico which is a lump sum awarded monthly to any family with children, to be used in any way necessary. For this you do not need to necessarily submit an ISEE but you could receive more money if you do.

And then there is the Asilo Nido bonus, which helps with the cost of daycare, whether private or public.

You can receive up to:

• €1,500/year if your ISSEE is above 40,000
• €2500 with an ISEE between 25k and 40k
• €3,000 with an ISEE under 25k

Bonus Bollette: if you have an ISEE less than 15,000 you can also receive assistance with paying off your gas and electricity bills. The ISEE limit changes depending on how big your family is. This bonus will be applied automatically to everyone who has submitted an ISEE and is at the eligible number.

Bonus Internet: if you have a Partita IVA, you could receive between  300 ai 2500 euro  to cover your internet bills. This has to be requested directly at the store where you request a new internet connection.

Bonus Psicologo: last year this bonus, which focused on covering the cost of mental health assistance was so popular that this year they are bringing it back. This year individuals can receive 1,500 in assistance. However they have tightened down the acceptance policies, so not everyone may be able to access it, more details here.

Then we have the many Housing Bonuses

Like last year, the governemnt has made many construction and housing bonuses available in an attemt to modernize structures and also create more green and sustainable housing.

Under 36: There are a number of incentives to help out individuals under 36 years old buying a house. They will not have to pay the fees of imposta di registro, ipotecaria and catastale. Plus credits to make up for the IVA paid. Learn more here.

Bonus Fotovoltaico: for those looking to install solar panels, this might be the times to do it.You can receive a deduction for 50% the cost of installation! You can request it here on the AdE website (you’ll need a SPID to log in)

Bonus Mobili: You can also request a deduction of 50% the cost of new furniture or large appliances. You can receive this when filling out your yearly tax returns, ask assistance from your commercialista or CAF.

Bonus Casa Green: Another way to get a 50% tax deduction is by purchasing a home with an energy class of A or B, and it must be bought directly from the builder. This also is requested directly with your tax returns.

What about the Superbonus?

For those of you who were looking into restructuring, you might have had your eyes set on the superbonus 110%. Unfortunately it looks like that has been paused indefinitely. In fact they even have cancelled many applications that were backed up. Since so many people had taken advantage of it, the government realized it was a bit beyond what they could afford. Will update as the situation progresses

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