Advertisement

Health For Members

Italy's spa bonus: How you can claim €200 towards a relaxing break

The Local Italy
The Local Italy - [email protected]
Italy's spa bonus: How you can claim €200 towards a relaxing break
The government is offering funds for a spa day. Really. Photo by Haley Phelps on Unsplash "

From November 8th, everyone living in Italy can apply for a spa bonus, with €200 available per resident. Here's how the scheme works.

Advertisement

In a move to support the spa sector, which was among the first to close and last to reopen amid Covid restrictions, the Italian government is now offering funds for people living in the country to go and relax at Italy's accredited spas.

The government has confirmed it will launch the so-called 'bonus terme' from November 8th, allocating up to €200 per person for 100% of the spa services purchased.

In order to be eligible for the benefit, you must be over 18 and legally resident in Italy, while the spa you choose to visit must not already be paid for by the National Health Service or other public bodies.

READ ALSO: From renovating property to buying a new car: 28 tax ‘bonuses’ you can claim from the Italian government

The government stated that "spa services" include wellness and beauty services.

Anyone interested in taking advantage of the scheme will need to book directly at an accredited spa of their choice, who will issue a reservation certificate. Reservations are valid for 60 days and any services booked must be used within that period.

Advertisement

 
Towels in a spa. Take a spa break on the government and support Italy's 'terme'. Photo: Denny Müller on Unsplash

"The bonus will consist of a 100% discount on the purchase price of the selected spa services, up to a maximum amount of 200 euros," the Ministry for Economic Development stated.

The spa, rather than the customer, will need to apply for the funding from the government, meaning you do not need to claim a tax rebate.

However as the scheme doesn't officially launch until November 8th, some spas may put customers on a waiting list if they apply now, but no vouchers can be issued until that date,

A list of participating spas will be listed on both the Economic Development Ministry's website and the Ministry's agency site Invitalia.

The bonus is not linked to a household's ISEE and so everyone is able to claim the full amount of the bonus.

The Italian ISEE number is the measure used to indicate how relatively well off your household is, taking into account income, assets, debts, and other factors. It’s quite complex to calculate but you can ask your commercialista (accountant) to do this for you.

To access this bonus therefore, you don't need to work out your household ISEE and everyone in the same family can claim the full amount.

A family of five adults, for example, can apply for one bonus per member, meaning one household could claim five bonuses worth a maximum of €1,000.

A total of €53 million has been allocated to this scheme and the bonus will run until the funds have been exhausted.

This incentive is the latest among dozens of tax ‘bonuses’ and rebates made available by the government for purchasing anything from an electric car to a first home in Italy.

For more information, see the Italian Economic Development Ministry’s website.

More

Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.

Please log in to leave a comment.

Anonymous 2021/10/20 20:43
Can you explain how it works? How does one claim the bonus? Is it a tax refund?

See Also