Background information

The 'Superbonus 110%' is a significant fiscal incentive aimed at promoting energy efficiency and seismic safety improvements in buildings. Introduced by the 'Decreto Rilancio' (Relaunch Decree, Law Decree No. 34 of 19 May 2020, converted with modifications by Law No. 77 of 17 July 2020) in May 2020, it was part of the government's efforts to stimulate the economy in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Content of measure

The Superbonus initiative permits a tax deduction of up to 110% for expenditures related to specific renovation activities, like thermal insulation, the replacement of outdated winter air conditioning systems, and seismic retrofitting. The provision delineates eligibility for an array of entities, including condominiums, private individuals unaffiliated with business operations, and certain non-profit organizations. A noteworthy aspect of this measure is the allocation of the tax deduction over four equal annual installments, thus providing substantial financial alleviation for eligible entities embarking on renovation endeavors.

The scope of interventions eligible for the Superbonus encompasses primary or 'driving' renovations such as the thermal insulation of opaque surfaces, the replacement of extant winter air conditioning systems with centralized systems featuring higher energy efficiency, and interventions aimed at enhancing seismic safety. There's also room for additional work that improves energy use, makes buildings more accessible, or adds electric car charging, but only if it's done with one of the main types of work.

Use of measure

As of the latest update on 31 December 2023 provided by ENEA (National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development) the Superbonus 110% scheme has reached 461,433 buildings in Italy, with a total investment exceeding €104 billion. Of these, 104,856 are condominium buildings, accounting for 22.7% of the total, while single-family homes number 240,441 (52.1%). Additionally, 116,128 functionally independent housing units have benefited from the program, making up 25.2% of the interventions.

The Court of Auditors (Corte dei Conti) has issued a scathing assessment of the Superbonus scheme's impact on public finances, describing its negative effects as having reached macroscopic dimensions. Prosecutor General Pio Silvestri delivered the criticism during hearings on the 2023 state budget reconciliation process. The court's findings highlight how the measure, originally designed for interventions completed by 31 December 2021, underwent progressive extensions that generated uncontrolled effects on the state budget. Silvestri noted that stringent measures were only recently introduced to mitigate the negative impact on public finances, whilst acknowledging the need to balance expectations of those already engaged in renovation projects under different regulatory frameworks. The court recognised that building renovation incentives have contributed to economic recovery and improved building conditions, but emphasised significant problems including fraud, improper benefit claims, and particularly severe budgetary consequences from the Superbonus scheme with its 110% deduction rate. The criticism focuses on the expansion of the scheme's objectives and repeated temporal extensions, which generated expenditure well beyond initial expectations

Target groups

Workers	Businesses	Citizens
Does not apply to workers	Does not apply to businesses	Applies to all citizens

Actors and funding

Actors	Funding
National government Company / Companies	National funds National Recovery and Resilience Facility

Social partners

Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:

	Trade unions	Employers' organisations
Role	No involvement	No involvement
Form	Not applicable	Not applicable

Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:

• Unknown
• Main level of involvement: N/A

Involvement

No involvement

Views and reactions

No involvement

Sectors and occupations

This case is not occupation-specific.

Sources

• 27 May 2022: Superbonus 110% (www.agenziaentrate.gov.it)
• 01 January 2024: Risultati Superbonus 110% 31/12 (www.efficienzaenergetica.enea.it)
• 28 June 2024: La Corte dei Conti distrugge il Superbonus, ricadute pesanti sul bilancio dello Stato: “Effetti negativi di dimensione macroscopica (www.ilriformista.it)
• 18 February 2025: Superbonus: rates, beneficiaries, and how to use it in 202 (www.ipsoa.it)