September 22, 2025 – International law firm Gianni & Origoni took part in the first day of the 2025 Genoa International Boat Show. Alongside the Italian Marine Industry Association, the firm participated in the organisation of the traditional conference “Boating, Tax and Customs” with Fabio Chiarenza, Francesca Staffieri, Marco Frulio and Giovanni Moschetta.
Discussions were moderated by Francesca Staffieri alongside Roberto Neglia, Head of Institutional Relations of the Italian Marine Industry Association.
Among the speakers: our tax expert Marco Frulio; Walter Vigo, Head of Tax Italy at Unicredit; Francesca Vitale, Central Director of Large Enterprises of the Italian Revenue Agency and Claudio Oliviero, Director at the Italian Customs and Monopolies Agency.
The meeting started with the intervention of Marco Osnato, Chairman of the Italian Chamber of Deputies Finance Committee.
Discussions focused on key issues within the boating industry that could shape its future development.
Among the issues covered were: the taxation of yacht leasing and the resulting loss of competitiveness in the sector - partly due to the tightening of the VAT regime on fees paid by non-resident shipowners; the fiscal and customs challenges linked to the delivery and management of non-EU yachts by Italian shipyards and distributors; and the difficulties arising from the current documentary requirements imposed by Italian regulations on the sector.
Speakers also discussed the potential benefits - particularly in terms of more transparency - that could result from adopting the cooperative compliance regime.
Regarding the lack of competitiveness of Italian boating, Marco Frulio recalled how the Italian Revenue Agency has adopted a series of measures, “with clear and peremptory indications, perhaps even too much so, which entail operational difficulties arising from the collection of the required information and documents, their verification, in addition to the responsibility of managing such data. These difficulties are further exacerbated by the liability regime” that applies to certain intermediaries.
Many non-resident yacht owners, who are required to appoint a tax representative, struggle to find individuals willing to accept this responsibility.
During the meeting, Claudio Oliviero, Director of the Customs and Monopolies Agency announced a new circular on tax regimes, while Francesca Vitale, Central Director of Large Enterprises of the Italian Revenue Agency, expressed openness on the matter.
The conference was rich of technical and operational insights. It focused on the importance of supporting the boating industry - also through tax measures – as it is a solid and dynamic sector whose turnover in Italy grew by 3.2%, in 2024.
GOP participated in the event as part of its commitment to the Blue Economy, a strategic sector for the development of Made in Italy. In particular, Giovanni Moschetta plays an active role in several working groups dedicated to the topic.
