Head-to-head · tax residents 2026
Romania or Italy: which should you move to?
Two of Europe's top relocation targets, both with newcomer regimes. Here is how they compare on the taxes that move the needle.
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| Factor |  Romania ↗ |  Italy ↗ |
|---|---|---|
| Top personal income tax | 10% | 43% |
| Corporate tax | 16%* | 24%* |
| Capital gains tax | Taxed | Taxed |
| Dividend tax | 10% | 26% |
| VAT / sales tax | 21% | 22% |
| Wealth tax | No | No |
| Inheritance tax | No | Yes |
| Foreign income | Worldwide | Worldwide |
| Headline expat regime | Micro-enterprise regime | Impatriati regime |
| Cost of living (vs your country) | 44 | 69 |
| Population | 19,020,271 | 58,915,656 |
| Area | 237,500 km² | 301,230 km² |
| Population density | 80/km² | 196/km² |
| Airports (large + medium) | 21 | 73 |
| Annual tourists | 13,353,000 | 57,725,000 |
| Flight time from your country | · | · |
| Direct flight likely? | · | · |
| Life expectancy | 76.1 yrs | 83.9 yrs |
| Safety (homicides/100k) | 1.1 | 0.6 |
| Happiness (0-10) | 6.12 | 6.39 |
| Corruption index (higher = cleaner) | 44/100 | 53/100 |
| Double-tax treaties (approx) | ~90 | ~102 |
| Internet speed (median fixed) | 283 Mbps | 117 Mbps |
| Healthcare spend / person | $1,051 | $3,398 |
| Air quality (PM2.5, lower=better) | 16.01 | 14.29 |
| Time zone (approx) | UTC+2 | UTC+1 |
| Digital nomad visa | Yes | Yes |
| Official languages | 1 (Romanian) | 1 (Italian) |
Green = more favourable. Cost of living shown as a percentage of your home country (under 100% = cheaper than home). Tax data: compiled by us, being re-verified; cost of living: World Bank PPP; area & population: GeoNames; life expectancy & homicide rate: World Bank.
* Romania: 16% standard. Micro-enterprise: 1% or 3% of turnover depending on conditions, with the threshold cut to EUR 250,000 in 2025. The income tax exemption for IT, construction and agri-food workers was REMOVED from January 2025. · Italy: IRES 24% + IRAP regional production tax 3.9% (regions may vary +/-0.92%). FY2025 optional reduced IRES of 20% for companies reinvesting profits in fixed assets under conditions.
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