Buying in Tuscany?
Don't sign anything without an Italian lawyer who speaks your language.
20+ years of cross-border practice. Spanish-qualified attorney (Abogado, Spain) established in Italy as Avvocato Stabilito at the Bar of Massa under EU Directive 98/5/CE. LL.M. Loyola Law School Los Angeles · former intern at the Supreme Court of Texas. Title due diligence, fiscal residence, Elective Residence Visa, Flat Tax planning, cross-border estate. One attorney. Two EU jurisdictions. Direct US legal training.
Where US, UK and Canadian buyers lose money — every single month.
These are not theoretical. These are the four scenarios we resolve regularly for buyers who came to us after they signed. The cost of fixing each is 5–20x the cost of preventing it.
Wrong fiscal residence regime applied at the moment of move
You moved to Italy thinking you'd qualify for the Flat Tax (€100k/year on foreign income), but you missed the registration window or didn't structure your assets correctly. The Italian tax authority retroactively applies the standard regime. Cost: tens to hundreds of thousands in unforeseen tax.
Urbanistic, cadastral or condominio violations the seller didn't disclose
The villa has unauthorized renovations from 1995. The cadastre is misaligned. The condominium has €40k of unpaid extraordinary works. Italian sellers' disclosure standards are far weaker than US or UK norms. By the time you find out, you own the problem.
Italian inheritance rules trump your US/UK will or trust
Italy has forced heirship: a fixed portion of your estate must go to spouse and children, regardless of what your US revocable trust or UK will says. If you die owning Italian property without a coordinated cross-border estate plan, your heirs face years of conflict and expensive Italian probate.
FBAR / FATCA / Italian RW reporting missed at year one
You opened an Italian bank account, bought a house, maybe set up an SRL. The IRS expects FBAR and Form 8938. Italy expects Quadro RW. Miss the first filing and the penalties compound year over year. Italian banks may freeze accounts when they discover non-compliance.
One Italian lawyer who actually speaks your legal language.
Most boutique Italian lawyers are excellent at Italian law but cannot communicate in your terms. Most US/UK lawyers know your needs but cannot operate in Italy. Studio Legale Scatena is structured around exactly this gap.
Pre-purchase Due Diligence
- Title verification (visure catastali, ipotecarie)
- Urbanistic & cadastral compliance
- Energy certification (APE) review
- Condominium debts & extraordinary works
- Source of funds AML/KYC documentation
- Negotiation of preliminary contract (compromesso)
- Coordination with Italian notary (rogito)
Elective Residence Visa
- Visa D dossier (Consulate of Italy in your country)
- Income & assets documentation (€31k+ single, €38k+ couple)
- Translation, apostille, certified documents
- Permesso di Soggiorno application post-arrival (8 days)
- Anagrafe registration (Comune)
- Annual renewals
- Path to permanent residency (5 yrs) and citizenship (10 yrs)
Tax + Estate Coordination
- Flat Tax €100k regime evaluation (art. 24-bis TUIR)
- Cross-border tax planning IT ↔ USA / UK / Canada
- FBAR / FATCA / Quadro RW coordination
- Italian SRL or holding structure (if required)
- Estate planning under forced heirship rules
- Coordination with US/UK/Canadian tax counsel
- Banking introduction (Italian partner banks)
Two ways to start with us.
Like everything we do, both have published pricing. No "request a quote" black-box.
International Strategy Session
- Pre-call questionnaire on your situation (10-30 min)
- 1:1 90-minute call with Avv. Stab. Scatena via Zoom (no junior)
- Written 3-5 page deliverable: situation map, top 3 risks, prioritized recommendations, action plan
- 1 follow-up Q&A email within 14 days
- €450 deductible from any subsequent package if engaged within 60 days
Direct payment: we'll contact you within 4 business hours for pre-call questionnaire and available slots.
Tuscany Buyer Full Package
- Full pre-purchase due diligence (title, urbanistic, cadastral, condominio)
- Negotiation of compromesso + assistance to rogito (notary coordination)
- AML / source-of-funds documentation
- Elective Residence Visa D dossier (Consulate filing) + Permesso di Soggiorno (Questura)
- Anagrafe registration + Italian banking setup
- Flat Tax evaluation + structuring (art. 24-bis TUIR)
- Coordination with your US/UK/Canadian tax counsel for FBAR/FATCA/Quadro RW
- Cross-border estate planning consultation under forced heirship rules
Start with one of the 5 Amazon books.
If you want to understand how the firm thinks before booking 90 minutes, start with one of the books in the "Export Without Risk" series. Published on Amazon KDP, each book distills 20+ years of cross-border IT-USA practice into operational tools and checklists. Most of our Tier 2 clients first met us through these books.
Italy-USA Export Guide
The complete bilingual manual (IT/EN) for Italian companies exporting to the United States. UCC, FDA, FCPA, product liability, Incoterms, contract law.
Amazon Kindle · $29.99 →Global Export Contracts
International trade agreements, Incoterms 2020, CISG, risk allocation, dispute resolution — for export managers and legal professionals.
Amazon Kindle · $39.99 →Export Contract Templates
42 ready-to-use international trade agreements with expert commentary: sales, distribution, agency, JV, NDA, licensing, compliance.
Amazon Kindle · $19.99 →Esportare Senza Rischi
The flagship Italian-language manual. Contracts, Incoterms, secure payments, customs, SACE/SIMEST financing — for Italian SMEs serious about export.
Amazon Kindle · $22.99 →Esportare in Pratica
The mini-guide for first-time exporters (Italian). 10 chapters · zero legal jargon · ready-to-use templates. Entry tier €9.99.
Amazon Kindle · €9.99 →Book your International Strategy Session.
90 minutes with Avv. Scatena to map your specific situation. Written deliverable in 72 hours. €450 deductible from any subsequent package.
Frequently asked questions
I already have a US/UK lawyer. Why do I also need an Italian one?
Your US/UK lawyer cannot practice Italian law and cannot represent you in Italian filings, contracts, or before Italian authorities. We work as your Italian-side counsel, coordinating directly with your home-jurisdiction lawyer. Often our work supplements yours — we're not a replacement.
Can't my Italian real estate agent handle the legal side?
Italian agents can be excellent at finding and selling property, but they are not legally qualified to perform due diligence, structure your purchase, advise on residency or tax, or represent you in disputes. They also have a clear conflict of interest — they're paid to close the sale.
Why €450 for the Strategy Session and not free?
Because 90 minutes of attorney time + 4-6 hours producing a written deliverable have real cost. "Free consultations" are usually a sales call to upsell you on a much larger fee. Our Strategy Session is a complete service in itself, with usable written output regardless of what you decide next.
Do you handle properties outside Tuscany?
Yes. Tuscany is our home base and where most clients are headed, but we handle Lazio (Rome area), Umbria, the Lakes, Sicily, and Italian islands.
What about the Flat Tax — is it really worth €100k/year?
It depends entirely on your foreign income. If your annual non-Italian income exceeds ~€450k-500k, the Flat Tax becomes mathematically advantageous vs. ordinary Italian taxation. Below that threshold, ordinary regime may be better. We model both scenarios in the Strategy Session deliverable.
Can you also help with my Italian citizenship by descent (Iure Sanguinis)?
Yes. We have a separate practice handling US/Canadian/Argentine/Brazilian/Australian descent claims for Italian citizenship. Currently active cases. Mention it in the form and we'll address both in the Strategy Session.