Antonio developed the firm’s niche of assisting English speakers while commuting backwards and forwards every week to Livorno. On the flight he would get chatting with people who had just bought a house or started a business in Italy and were floundering around in the tax quagmire. ‘So many people were asking me to help them that I soon realised I had something unique to offer,’ he says. ‘Most companies dealing with ex pats in Italy are either one of the “Big Four” accountancy firms – and who can afford them? – or else overseas accountants who market their services in Italy but pass all their work on to an Italian accountant, so they’re just a kind of middle man. I knew that there was a gap in the market for an Italian accountant who really understood ex pat tax problems.’
‘So many people were asking me to help them that I soon realised I had something unique to offer,
His personal, friendly service is proving a big hit with expats.
The reassuring presence of Judith is a key factor as she finds people breathe a sigh of relief when they realise they are talking to someone English.
‘Antonio is fluent in English,’ she says. ‘And he’s the accountant, not me. But I know that sometimes it’s easier to explain things to a native speaker and easier too to take advice on board when it is given in a language you understand.
And because I see things from both sides I can understand the difficulties for expats in approaching the Italian tax system. There are for example a lot of grey areas in Italian tax law, which I know can be confusing for those used to a clearer-cut tax system.’
