With this article we will start posting some interviews that we have done to our Clients who have already moved to Italy from the US.
In this interview, we have asked some questions to V.R., a US Lawyer who moved with his family from Colorado to a small village next to Siena, in Tuscany and who is working for the same Legal Firm he worked while he was in the US.
Let's see what he has to say about his new life in Italy.
RELOCATING IN ITALY AS A LAWYER
Before reading the interview, we want to give some quick information useful to understand the background:
- V.R. is a US Lawyer who worked for a Law Firm in Colorado.
- He moved to Italy and opened a Self-Employment position here (Partita IVA). See more information here:
- He qualified to apply for the Regime Impatriati. See more information here:
- He made the election to pay Social Security in the US with the Self-Employment Tax, so he can continue making Social Security contribution in the US instead of paying the Italian Social Security (INPS). See also this link:
MY LIFE AS AN AMERICAN LAWYER AFTER MOVING TO ITALY
Are you a US Citizen or a Green Card Holder?
I am a US Citizen.
Do you have Italian Citizenship or other Citizenships?
Yes, I have dual Italian and US citizenships.
If you didn't have the Italian/European Citizenship, would you have considered getting a Visa in order to move to Italy?
Yes I would.
Can you please describe your job in Italy: are you working remotely from Italy for a US Company?
Yes, I work remotely.
- Are you an Employee or a Self-Employed person?
I'm a Self-employed consultant. I work remotely as a Lawyer for the same Legal Firm I worked while I was in the US.
Can you please tell us briefly your story: when did you move to Italy?
I've moved to Italy in August 2024.
Did you move in Italy with your family, spouse and children?
Yes, spouse and two children.
Is your spouse working?
Not right now.
Did you move from the US or from another Country?
I've moved from the US.
Why have you decided to leave the US?
We love Italy. The lifestyle in the USA was not enjoyable anymore.
For which reasons have you chosen to move to Italy?
I love Italy, its culture, people, art, lanscapes, architecture, food.
Have you also considered other Countries?
We are dual Citizens by blood in Italy and love the Country.
We had not considered anywhere else except for Canada which wasn't as interesting and was more difficult to get into.
In which Italian Region and Province are you living right now?
We live in a small village next to Siena, in Tuscany.
Have you rented or bought a house?
We are renting right now.
Do you plan on buying a house in Italy in the near future?
Yes, we are already under contract to buy a house.
How did you come to the decision of moving to Italy: was it an instinctive decision or did you have a more planned approach?
It was much more a planned decision.
Do you think that planning the move is an important part of the process?
Yes, definitely.
What were your expectations before moving to Italy?
To have a beautiful life with a difficult start.
What were your main doubts and questions about moving here?
The language barrier and whether our kids could find jobs.
What was the focus of you relocating in Italy:
- To be able to get a job or to work remotely for your US Company:
It was not the focus.
- To be able to get an Italian Tax Break:
Helpful but not the focus.
- To be able to enjoy the Italian lifestyle:
YES, very important.
- To be able to find a good settling for your family:
YES very important.
- To be able to have health coverage:
YES very important.
Were these expectations met once you get in Italy or were you disappointed?
Expectations were met.
What was easier than you expected and what was harder than you expected?
Harder. The bureaucratic process is even worse than its reputation.
Everything is difficult. We received terrible legal advice from our first immigration attorney which made everything tougher.
How would you rate your moving to Italy experience from a "quality of life" perspective compared to the US?
9/10.
What is the aspect of the Italian lifestyle that you appreciate the most?
The strong local communities.
Do you feel that Italian people have given you a warm welcome?
Yes, very welcoming.
Was it difficult to adjust to Italy from a social and cultural point of view?
Moderately. It's more formal than we expected. People in the USA are much more casual when interacting with each other.
Was the language barrier a problem for your profession and for your family?
Yes, knowing the language is crucial.
Have you applied to any of the Tax Breaks Italy offers to people moving to Italy?
Yes, I have applied for the Regime Impatriati Tax Break.
Do you find it attractive?
Yes, it is.
Was it important for you to be able to pay your Social Security in the US while working in Italy?
Absolutely.
Was the handling of Italian and US taxes a problem for you?
Yes, but resolved by having Tax Consultants help me in both countries.
How would you rate our Tax Firm consultation so far?
- Expertise: 10/10.
- Responsiveness and efficiency: 10/10.
- Versatility, that means the ability to interact with other Professionals, Italian or American, and the ability to cover a wide spectrum of problems: 10/10.
- Communicating skills: 10/10.
- Planning skills:10/10.
- How beneficial was our consultation for you: Extremely useful
- Do you have suggestions for improving our assistance?
Utilize phone calls instead of Zoom calls except when screen sharing is necessary. In my personal opinion, Zoom calls are distracting and video usually does not add value.
What is the most challenging part of the experience of moving to Italy?
The language barrier with the bureaucratic hurdles being a close second.
Tied for third and fourth are the insane driving and inconvenient grocery stores.
I feel like the drivers have almost no regard for mutual safety.
Grocery shopping in the USA is much easier; the product and meat is much better here, but the options are limited, the stores are always crowded, and the stores have limited hours compared to the USA's 24/7 culture.
Do you plan to move back to the US in the future?
No.
Why?
I don't think I could go back to the USA and its lifestyle.
If you were to give advice to a US Citizen who is considering moving to Italy, what would it be?
Moving to Italy is like planting a tree - there are 2 times to do it: now and 10 years ago. Get it over with and do it as soon as possible. The sooner you are here, the more time you will have after learning the language and clearing the bureaucratic hurdles.
You will enjoy it.
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YOU MAY BE ALSO INTERESTED IN:
1) Our MOVING TO ITALY section that you can find at the following link:
1) Our TAX RESIDENCE section that you can find at the following link:
3) The following posts:
CONTACT US FOR MORE INFORMATION
If you need more information you can send an email to:
enrico.povolo@dottcomm.net
or make a phone call to the following number:
+39 0444 322987
Enrico Povolo