DPIA Limited are a specialist firm run by Antonio Del Gaizo, commercialista (chartered accountant) for nearly 35 years with an office in Banbury, UK and a studio in Livorno, Italy. We have been involved with expat issues for over 20 years and this has now become our speciality, to the point where currently 98% of our work is for non-Italian clients.
With our sole focus on expats, we are free from the clutter clogging up many Italian studios and are able to offer you tailormade expert advice for all your Italian taxation needs. With so many years of experience in this field and our native English native speaking team members we believe we offer our clients an unparalleled service.
Antonio’s clients are expats who need a commercialista (chartered accountant) for anything from filing a tax return to freelancing or running a business in Italy.
‘Italy is very different from many other countries, where often it is possible to contact the tax authorities directly to get an answer to a question. It’s hard to find anyone from the Italian Tax Authorities who will speak on the phone and while you can write an email you’d be lucky to get a helpful response. In Italy tax laws seem to change on an almost daily basis so you are reliant on a good commercialista to guide you through, but for an expat finding a good commercialista can be a problem in itself.’
‘Many people will ask their estate agent or their Italian builder or neighbours if they know a good chartered accountant. Because a lot of business in Italy is done by word of mouth, they will usually get recommended someone local’.
Unfortunately, that person may not be fluent in English or have experience in dealing with ex-pat tax issues. What if you have income from several countries for example, or spend some of the year in Italy and some abroad? What if you have questions to ask but aren’t confident in day-to-day Italian, let alone Italian tax terminology? You need to talk to someone who understands the issues and can explain them to you in a language you understand. That’s where we come in.’ Antonio’s clients are non-Italian businesses or individuals who need a commercialista for anything from filing a tax return to freelancing or running a business in Italy. ‘As I am married to an Englishwoman and have lived in the UK since 2004, I understand British culture very well,’ he says. ‘Unlike Italians, who have a quite different attitude to authority and do all they can to avoid being drawn in, expats generally want to understand the system and to know what and why they are paying. I appreciate how confusing it can all seem and how frustrating Italian bureaucracy can be.’
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 expats in Italy are either one of the “Big Four” accountancy firms – and who can afford them? –or else overseas accountants who claim to offer services in Italy but just pass the work on to a local Italian accountant, so you don’t know who is handling your tax affairs. I knew that there was a gap in the market for an Italian accountant who really understood expat tax problems and who was happy to communicate directly.’
Antonio was right. 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 chartered 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.’
Antonio emphasizes how important the Internet is in developing his business and this throws up more cultural differences. ‘Italians like to do business face to face’, he explains. ‘And the idea of finding an accountant online would have been almost unthinkable just a few years ago. I like to meet clients if possible and often fix up meetings In Italy when I am over, but it isn’t essential. I can handle your tax affairs and answer your questions just as easily from here in Banbury using online meetings, phone or email as I can face to face, although as an Italian that is quite a confession to make! I also appreciate that many of our clients come from countries where it is normal to receive a quick response to queries – something quite unusual to find in Italy. So I do pride myself on replying promptly.’
Dealing with Antonio of DPIA is a refreshingly different commercialista experience. His unique combination of Italian tax expertise and British know-how is unbeatable, as is his open, friendly manner and sense of humour. ‘Do you know what?’ says Antonio. ‘I even eat Marmite now. And I like it!’
That probably says it all.
