Italian office words from Italy, explained
The words you see in official letters in Italy, in plain English.
- Anagrafe
- The Comune’s register of residents. You register your address here.
- Autotutela
- A request to the office to cancel or correct its own act, for example when it is clearly wrong. It does not stop the deadline to appeal.
- Avviso bonario
- A tax notice after a check of your tax return. If you pay in time, the penalty is lower.
- Avviso di accertamento
- A formal tax demand after a check by the tax office. You can usually appeal within 60 days.
- Avviso di giacenza
- Notice that a registered letter is waiting for you at the post office.
- Bollettino
- A payment slip. You can pay it at the post office, at a bank or online.
- CAF
- Tax help centre. It helps with tax returns, ISEE and tax letters, often for free or a small fee.
- Carta d’identità
- ID card from the Comune. Foreign residents can get one too, but for them it is not a travel document.
- Cartella di pagamento
- A demand from the tax collector to pay an unpaid tax, fine or contribution.
- Codice avviso
- The 18-digit code you need to pay a PagoPA notice.
- Codice fiscale
- Your personal tax code: 16 letters and numbers. You need it for almost everything — work, rent, the doctor, a bank account.
- Conguaglio
- Adjustment. The difference between estimated and real use: you pay extra or get money back.
- Decreto ingiuntivo
- A court order to pay a debt.
- Decurtazione punti
- Points taken off a driving licence.
- Deposito cauzionale
- Rental deposit. It can be at most 3 months’ rent.
- Diffida
- Formal warning. They tell you to do something, often to pay, or they will take legal steps.
- Ente creditore
- The office that is owed the money, for example a city or the tax office.
- F24
- The standard form to pay taxes. You can pay it online, at a bank or at a post office.
- Fermo amministrativo
- A block on your car or motorbike because of an unpaid debt. You must not drive it while it is blocked.
- IMU
- Property tax. Owners pay it, but usually not on the home they live in.
- INPS
- The national social security institute. It pays pensions and many benefits.
- Interessi
- Interest. Extra money added, usually because a payment is late.
- Ipoteca
- A legal charge on a house or flat, for example because of a large unpaid debt.
- ISEE
- A statement of your family’s income and savings. Many benefits and discounts depend on it.
- Messa in mora
- Formal demand to pay. After it, interest can be added and legal steps can follow.
- NASpI
- Unemployment benefit, paid by INPS after you lose your job.
- Notifica
- Formal delivery of an official letter. Many deadlines start on this day.
- Opposizione
- A formal challenge, for example against a court payment order.
- PagoPA
- The national system for paying public offices. Each payment has its own codice avviso.
- Partita IVA
- VAT number for self-employed people and companies. You need one if you work as a freelancer.
- Patronato
- Free help centre for pensions, benefits and work accidents. Many also help with residence permit forms.
- PEC
- Certified email. A message sent by PEC counts like a registered letter.
- Permesso di soggiorno
- Residence permit for people who are not EU citizens.
- Pignoramento
- Seizure of money, wages or things to pay a debt.
- Preavviso di rigetto
- Notice that they plan to refuse your application. You can reply with comments, usually within 10 days.
- Precetto
- A formal demand to pay within a short time. After it, the creditor can start seizing money or things.
- Raccomandata
- Registered letter. You sign when you receive it. With “A/R”, the sender gets proof of delivery.
- Rateizzazione
- Paying a debt in instalments.
- Reclamo
- Complaint, for example to a supplier about a wrong bill.
- Residenza
- Your official registered address in Italy, recorded by the Comune.
- Ricorso
- Appeal. A formal request to a court or a higher office to change a decision.
- Sanzione
- Penalty or fine.
- Scadenza
- Due date, or the date something ends.
- Sfratto
- Eviction. Only a court can order it.
- SPID
- Digital identity. You use it to log in to public websites, like INPS or the Agenzia delle Entrate.
- TARI
- Waste collection tax. The person who lives in the home pays it — usually tenants too.
- Termine
- Deadline or time limit.
- Tessera sanitaria
- Health card. It also shows your codice fiscale.
- Udienza
- Court hearing.
- Verbale
- Official report. For fines, the verbale is the fine itself.