International Tax Advisor for US Expats in Italy: An Interview with Paolo Rigo

Getting your Italian citizenship starts with collecting your documents, then understanding if you're eligible and applying, right? And then comes the fun part: settling down and paying your taxes! That's what we're going to discuss today with Paolo Rigo, an international tax advisor from Studio Rigo, Verona, Italy!

1) Can you introduce yourself?

I’m Paolo Rigo, a creative numbers man with a big mission. Teaching people how to make a?living in Italy balancing money and happiness. I started my tax consulting business in 2007 and now our team is spread all around the world. We help Expats moving to Italy understand the benefits, traps, duties and benefits offered by this maze-alike framework of rules and exemptions. Our goal is to educate people and facilitate their choice, whether it’s hiring a professional in?the tax matter in Italy or actually moving to Italy.

2) Why work with a tax advisor?

If you’re thinking to yourself, what does he know that I don’t? The answer is dual: everything?and nothing.. You shouldn’t hire a tax professional, rules should be clear and available for?everyone. Easy to apply and to digest. Only if you feel lost and you’re very committed to having some financial ties with Italy, it’s?time to speak with someone. Not anyone. someone who’s been running a successful business for over 15 years, specialized in?International taxation. The advice you should look for must come from real, practical experience, combined with?what it takes to pivot, overcome objections and succeed in one of the most complicated tax?systems in the world - Italy.

[Side note from Natalia: Paolo and I discussed about this, as well as other things related to translation, in this podcast episode].

3) How did you become a tax advisor?

It’s a never ending process. The game started in 2007 when I met a couple of pilots working?for a foreign airline company. They were desperate and so I decided to help them. I still?remember I had no idea of how to file those tax returns, since the answer - tax wise - is?never easy to get in Italy. So I spent a few weeks, I learned, I studied and finally I came up?with a solution that seems like a game changer for their lives too. Then word to mouth the business literally exploded and I found myself loving teaching?people how to learn things themselves. And lending a hand, in case of any real tax issue?(such as business setups, consultation or tax returns).

[Would you like to be featured for an interview like this one? I love to connect with professionals in the dual citizenship field. Please, reach out here or DM me!]

4) Any client stories you remember?

Many, too many to recall. Every call, every meeting opens the door of someone else’s life,?beliefs, hopes and dreams, so I’m really grateful for having this daily opportunity of?connecting with people on a deep level. Sometimes people reach out to us because they made some mistakes in the past, so I?remember some years ago I was speaking with a woman that started crying because she?lost all her savings for a huge mistake. Sometimes we meet people that are afraid to take the chance of moving to Italy from the US?or Canada for example. So being able to give them the confidence that they will be?financially stable, makes me feel like I’m part of their journey. Just a few days ago I received 200 white roses from a client, with a thank-you note because?living in Italy brought him love and he got married.

5) Any pro tips?

There are no tips unfortunately. But one. Never stop learning. Be demanding with yourself. Learning a new language and taxes in another country is the quickest way to give yourself a?headache. You can’t learn everything in a few days, starting from scratch. So the process of?knowing, understanding is a matter of direction, not velocity. And peace of mind is the?reward, much more than mere tax savings. You must find the perfect way to move to Italy,?enjoy the Italian lifestyle, without the fear of losing some money because of uncertain rules? or risky strategies. This means to delegate the information gathering and get the right?information for your specific case. There is no one-size-fits-all plan in Italy, but with the Common?Law rules can be definitely on your side. More often than expected.

6) Where can we find you?

This is my?Website, my LinkedIn and here's my??YouTube?channel, with lots of videos about everything taxes!

I'm Natalia Bertelli, an English into Italian Sworn Translator, specializing in Dual Citizenship.

This post first appeared on my blog.

Need my services? Drop me a line!

Would you like to be featured for an interview like this one? I love to connect with professionals in the dual citizenship field. Please, reach out here or DM me!