The Ministry for Enterprises and Made in Italy (MIMIT) provides operational guidance for applying the 2025 rules on innovative start-up status: Small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) requirement, €5 million cap from the second financial year, ban on prevalent agency/consultancy, the 36→60-month extension and subsequent “scale-up” periods, as well as removals beyond 60 months. (MIMIT Circular 29.07.2025; Decree-Law 179/2012, Art. 25; Law 193/2024)

On 1 July 2025, the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) issued guidance that explains, in practical terms, how to distinguish “non-entitled” from “non-existing” tax credits and how tax authorities should recover them. The guidance builds on the reform that defined both categories (Legislative Decree, Leg. Decree No. 87/2024, within Legislative Decree, Leg. Decree No. 74/2000) and highlights the role of certification for R&D, innovation and design expenses

The tax decree makes the new tax framework for Third Sector Entities effective from 2026. In short: clearer rules to qualify “non-commercial” activities, simplified lump-sum regimes, and—for social enterprises—no tax on profits that are reinvested in the organisation (DL 84/2025; Third Sector Code, Arts. 79, 80, 86; Leg. Decree 112/2017, Art. 18).

Through “Stop-the-clock”, the Council of the European Union defers certain timelines under the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), the EU Taxonomy Regulation, and the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CS3D). In parallel, the European Commission has tasked the European Financial Reporting Advisory Group (EFRAG) with streamlining the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS).

The European Commission, via a comfort letter communicated by the Ministry of Labour on 8 March 2025, has cleared the way for the tax rules of the Italian Third Sector Code. From 1 January 2026, the provisions on direct taxes and preferential regimes for ETS (Third Sector Entities) become operational, including the new non-commerciality test and the optional lump-sum regimes. For social enterprises, profits reinvested are exempt from corporate income tax. Solidarity bonds and tax incentives for investments in newly incorporated social enterprises are still pending further EU assessment.