Setting up in Italy

Setting up a company in Italy. From the first decision to the first invoice.

Whether you're opening a warehouse, a sales office or a team in North-East Italy, we help you choose the right structure, register it and get it running — then stay on for the accounting, tax and legal work that follows.

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The choice

Three ways to be present in Italy

The right structure depends on what you'll actually do in Italy, how much risk you want to keep away from the parent company, and how you'll bring profits home. These are the three options we discuss most often.

Branch

sede secondaria

An extension of your company, not a separate legal entity. No share capital and simpler to close, but your company is directly liable for it, and it's taxed in Italy as a permanent establishment.

Subsidiary

S.r.l.

An Italian limited company owned by your group. It keeps most of the risk within the Italian company and is the form Italian customers, banks and employees know best, with its own accounts, governance and formalities.

Representative office

ufficio di rappresentanza

For preparatory and auxiliary activities only, such as promotion and market research. Light to run, but it can't sell: if it starts doing more, it may become a permanent establishment.

Your situation

Where are you starting from?

Opening a warehouse or an operations hub

Logistics raises tax questions from day one: VAT on goods moving in and out of Italy, stock held for customers, and the point at which a warehouse becomes a permanent establishment. We sort them out before the first delivery, together with the lease and the local registrations.

Moving from agents to your own company

Many companies start in Italy with agents or distributors, then need their own people. We review the agency contracts, where termination indemnities and Enasarco (the agents’ pension fund) often catch foreign principals out. We check whether your current setup already creates a permanent establishment, and plan the move.

Opening a sales or service office

A few people selling to or servicing customers in Italy usually means an Italian company, an employer registration and a payroll. We set up the company, open the registrations and, through Cerchiolavori, help you find the first people.

Our part

What we take care of

The choice of structure, with the tax and legal reasons set out in writing
Company formation with the notary: articles of association, directors and share capital
For a branch: the parent company's documents, with apostille and sworn translation, and the appointment of the permanent representative
Registrations: Companies Register (Registro Imprese), VAT number, certified email (PEC), digital signature and Italian tax codes for directors
Your bank account: the documents Italian banks ask for and, where useful, an introduction to local banks
Employer registrations (INPS for social security, INAIL for workplace insurance) and payroll from the first employee
Recruitment of your first employees through Cerchiolavori
Your Italian compliance calendar, in English

After that, we keep the company running. Accounting & tax →

Cerchiolavori

Hiring your first people in Italy

Cerchiolavori, Quadra's recruitment division, looks for people who fit the culture of your company, not just the job description. You see a shortlist of no more than three candidates per role, and we check in at 30, 60 and 90 days after they start. Payroll is then handled together with your accounts.

Questions

Frequently asked questions

Can we set up without travelling to Italy? +

Often, yes. Documents can be signed abroad through a power of attorney, and in some cases the notary deed can be signed by videoconference. We'll tell you what applies to you.

Is a branch cheaper to run than a subsidiary? +

Not by as much as people expect. Both keep Italian books, file Italian tax returns and pay Italian tax on the profits made here. The real differences are liability, how profits go back to the parent and how easily you can close.

Your contact

Federico Miotti

Founder · Chartered accountant

Tax, accounting and reporting to headquarters.

English, German, Italian

Chiara Rossato

Lawyer

Corporate and banking law.

English, French, Italian

Meet the whole team →

Getting started

How we start

Three steps, from your first message to a written proposal.

01

You get in touch

Fill in the form or email us. We reply within one working day, with two or three times for a first call.
02

A 30-minute call

By video or at our office in Vicenza. We look at where you are, what needs to be in place and by when.
03

A written proposal

Within a few days you receive a short summary of the priorities and a proposal setting out scope, timing and fees. Whether to go ahead is entirely up to you.

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Let's start with a conversation.

Thirty minutes by video or at our office, free and without obligation. Tell us what you need in Italy, and we'll tell you honestly whether and how we can help.