The Italian tax code (codice fiscale) is the single item that most often blocks successions with heirs abroad: the electronic declaration requires one for every heir and legatee, and without it the file is rejected. The good news is that getting one is easier than it seems, and does not require coming to Italy.
You may already have one
Anyone born in Italy, who worked or studied in Italy, has an old health card or is registered with AIRE often already has a tax code, even if unused for years. Check old documents, the health card or a tax return. If you can't find it, with your personal details we can check whether one already exists: a tax code is never issued twice.
How to get one if missing
- 1At the Italian consulate of the country where you live: the ordinary route for citizens resident abroad. You file form AA4/8 with a valid ID. Timing depends on the consulate and can be long.
- 2In Italy, at any Agenzia delle Entrate office, through a proxy: form AA4/8 is signed by you, with the proxy section filled in, and the proxy holder files it with their own ID and a copy of yours. This is the route we use, because it is usually the fastest.
We do it with your proxy
We send you the pre-filled form, you sign it and return it with a copy of your ID. We file it at Agenzia delle Entrate and send you the tax code as soon as it is issued.
What you need
- A valid passport or identity card (legible copy, front and back).
- Full personal details: surname, name, sex, date and place of birth, residential address abroad.
- The reason for the request: the succession in Italy. It must be stated on the form.
- Form AA4/8 signed, with the proxy section completed if we file it.
Heirs who are not Italian citizens
The same procedure applies: form AA4/8 can be filed at any Agenzia delle Entrate office through a proxy, with a stated reason. For foreign citizens the Italian consulate only steps in in special cases, so the proxy route in Italy is almost always the simplest.
Start here if the deadline is close
The tax code is the step with the least predictable timing in the whole procedure. If the death was several months ago, request it now: the rest of the declaration is prepared in parallel.
This guide's information is indicative and for information only. Every succession is unique: the final assessment is always on the specific case. We check your situation for free.