TV Licence in Italy: What it is and who is held to pay

We are close to the beginning of a new year and in Italy anyone owning one or more television is required to pay the “RAI TV Licence” within the January 31th. The TV licence is a sort of media tax, an ownership impost, due regardless of actual set use or selected television stations.

There are two different TV Licence types: ordinary subscriptions are due by the owner of a home and special subscriptions by the owners of one or more radio or television sets on premises open to the public and anyhow outside their homes.

Only one fee is due for private user subscriptions and it covers all television sets subscribers have for their own private use, either at their own place or at secondary homes, and those sets held by other family members as specified on official family status records.

Persons living in furnished apartments but not owning the television set they use are also held to pay subscription fees. Persons living abroad but holders of a house in Italy equipped with a television set are also held to pay the TV Licence.

First payment could be set with a C/C 9100 current account form, available at any Italian Post Office or by credit card just calling the free number 800.191.191. New subscriptions can be started at any moment of the year by paying an amount covering the period between the month of subscription and the six-monthly or yearly subscription fee expiry date. After the first payment, the Sportello S.A.T. will send subscriber(s) the registration booklet(s) complete with the subscription number(s) and Post Office Account 3103 forms for subsequent subscription renewals.

Assignment of a television set to other uses, such as pre-recorded tape viewing, home-computer terminal or video-game monitor not exclusive of adaptability to receiving television broadcasts does not therefore exonerate from mandatory subscription fee payment. The payment is also due by holders of a satellite or digital television set subscription, even in the event of using such equipment for receiving cable or foreign origin broadcasts.

For further details please visit http://www.abbonamenti.rai.it/Ordinari/Inglese.aspx#1