Italy
The term Tassa di soggiorno is used in reference to the swathe of local tourist taxes that began being introduced across Italy in 2011.
Generally the tax is a Euro amount corresponding to the hotel star rating levied on a set number of nights: this taxable number of nights threshold varies from place to place. The picture in Venice is further complicated by a myriad of conditions regarding location, mode of transport, and season.
When you add these new taxes to the existing IVA (Italian VAT) element and the vast array of coach permits and parking fees (with Florence the most expensive and Venice again the most complex), a standard 7-night tour of Italy can cost upwards of €100 per person in hotel taxes and coach fees - see our example for details.
All these surcharges harden Italy's reputation as one of Europe's most expensive tourist destinations. With the multiplicity of permutations, the table below shows the High Season picture:-
| DESTINATION | TAXATION SEASON | HOTEL STAR GRADING | # of |
| 1-star | 2-star | 3-star | 4-star | 5-star | NTS |
| ALBEROBELLO 1 | Year Round | €1.00 | €1.00 | €1.00 | €1.50 | €1.50 | ALL |
| ANCONA 2 | Year Round | Based on room value (not on grade) | 15 |
| BERGAMO 3 | Year Round | €1.00 | €1.70 | €2.50 | €3.50 | €3.50 | 10 |
| CAPRI | Year Round | €3.00 | €3.00 | €3.00 | €4.00 | €5.00 | 5 |
CATANIA 4
| Year Round | €1.00 | €1.00 | €1.50 | €1.50 | €2.50 | 3 |
| FLORENCE | Year Round | €1.00 | €2.00 | €3.00 | €4.00 | €5.00 | 10 |
| GIARDINI NAXOS | 01 August - 30 September | €0.50 | €0.50 | €0.50 | €1.00 | €1.00 | 5 |
MONTECATINI-TERME 5
| Year Round | €0.35 | €0.70 | €1.00 | €1.40 | €1.70 | 7 |
MONTEPULCIANO 6
| Year Round | €1.00 | €1.00 | €1.00 | €1.50 | €2.00 | ALL |
| PADUA | Year Round | N/A | €2.00 | €3.00 | €4.00 | N/A | 5 |
| ROME | Year Round | €2.00 | €2.00 | €2.00 | €3.00 | €3.00 | 10 |
| SAN GIMIGNANO | 01 March - 31 October | €0.75
| €1.50
| €2.00
| €2.50 | €3.00 | 10
|
| SESTO FIORENTINO | Year Round | €1.00 | €2.00 | €3.00 | €4.00 | €5.00 | 10 |
SIENA 7
| 01 March - 31 October | €2.00 | €2.00 | €2.00 | €2.00 | €5.00 | 6 |
| 01 November - 28 February | €1.00 | €1.00 | €1.00 | €1.00 | €3.00 | 6 |
| SORRENTO COAST | 01 April - 31 October | €1.00 | €1.00 | €1.00 | €1.50 | €2.00 | 7 |
| VENICE 8 (Historic Centre) | High Season | €1.00 | €2.00 | €3.00 | €4.00 | €5.00 | 5 |
| VENICE 8 (Lido & Islands) | High Season | €0.70 | €1.40 | €2.10 | €2.80 | €4.50 | 5 |
| VENICE 8 (Mainland) | High Season | €0.60 | €1.20 | €1.80 | €2.40 | €3.00 | 5 |
# of NTS = the maximum number of consecutive nights to which the tax in that destination is applied.
1. In ALBEROBELLO there is no consecutive night threshold when the tax is no longer charged.
2. In ANCONA the tariff is €0.50 each for a room costing up to €20 per person, €1.00 each for a room costing between €20.01 & €50.00 per person, €2.00 each for a room costing between €50.01 & €100 per person, and €3.00 each for a room over €100 per person. Chargeable on stays of up to 15 nights.
3. In BERGAMO there is an additional €2,00 category, with the levy applicable to holiday homes (rooms, houses, apartments, cottages) and bed & breakfast establishments. Additionally the levy for each of the hotel categories can be increased or decreased by €0.50 depending on the amount spent on the total stay.
4. CATANIA's website is contains all the necessary information, but you will also see that the tax was increased from 2011 to 2012 by 100% in the 1-star/ 2-star categories and 50% in the 3-star/4-star categories.
5. In MONTECATINI-TERME there is a 10% reduction in the months of January & December. The website (once you find it) is very comprehensive including several pdf language versions with all the detail you need, including English.
6. The Comune di MONTEPULCIANO website contains the relevant information. The tax is levied on ALL nights, with no maximum number of nights condition.
7. In SIENA there are two season. Click here for all the information.
8. In VENICE there are two tax seasons, High and Low. The High Season is deemed as: (a) the duration of the Venice Carnival, (b) Easter as defined by the Wednesday prior to the Tuesday after, (c) from 01 April to 31 October, (d) the whole of the week in which 08 December falls, and (e) from 23 December to to the first Sunday after 06 January inclusive. The Low Season is deemed any date outside the Hight Season.This is a taster of how complex the regulations in Venice are structured.
Imposta sur Valore Aggiunto (IVA): In September 2011 the standard rate of IVA rose from 20% to 21%, with a further rise to 23% scheduled in 2012. The reduced rated of 10%, which applies to hotels, will increase to 12% in October 2012. A further 0.5% increase for standard and reduced rates is scheduled for 2014.