The Italian real estate market is a bustling and vibrant sector, with a complex web of transactions and negotiations taking place daily. Like in many other countries, buying a house in Italy involves paying taxes, which vary in number and amount. These taxes are a common feature when buying and selling properties worldwide. However, Italy’s real estate industry has been tainted by the deeply rooted presence of what I like to call “mafia mentality”. This influence manifests in various aspects of the Italian life in general, and so also in the property buying and selling process. In this article, we will explore two examples that demonstrate how the mafia mentality has permeated the Italian real estate market: the role of estate agents as “mediators” and the government’s policy on taxing debt.
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