Accountants and corporate service providers in Milan

Who the Milan firms work for

The sector named most often is real estate, by 13 firms, followed by start-ups, private equity, manufacturing, fashion and non-profit organisations. Client groups are just as international: foreign investors, multinational groups and Italian companies are named by four firms each, and expats by several more. If you plan a holding company or a subsidiary of a group, Milan has firms that describe exactly that work. If you are a freelancer or a small online business, read profiles for the word small business or professionals before you ask for a quote.

The entity types named reflect that mix. S.r.l. is named by 11 firms, and S.p.A., branches and holding companies by 7, 7 and 6. Four mention innovative start-ups and three trusts. A foreign company that wants a branch rather than a subsidiary should say so in the request, because the accounts and filings differ.

Services and languages

Every Milan firm offers tax compliance. Beyond it, 38 offer VAT, 35 accounting, 27 company formation, 21 audit, 20 payroll and 19 corporate secretarial work. Residency and visa help is offered by 10, a virtual office by 12 and bank account assistance by 8. Thirty-six state a focus on foreign clients, and four publish prices.

Forty-two of the 45 firms add English to Italian, which is the highest share of the three cities. French and Russian are each offered by six, German by five, and Spanish and Polish by two each. A founder from outside the English-speaking world should check the profile for the language rather than assume it, since the smaller groups are spread thin.

Questions worth asking a Milan firm

A large market means large differences in how firms work, so ask direct questions. Is the person you speak to the person who signs? Does the firm prepare consolidated reporting for a group, or only the Italian entity? Will it deal with the Revenue Agency and the Chamber of Commerce in your name? Firms with large networks behind them tend to answer in terms of teams and systems, while small practices answer in terms of one named partner, and either can suit you. The point is to match the answer to the size of your project.

Milan firms also tend to be asked for more than bookkeeping. A company that sells across borders needs its VAT position checked, a company with staff needs payroll, and a parent company with a board abroad needs the quotaholder decisions prepared in Italian and translated. Ask for each service to be priced, even where the firm bundles them.

Choosing and next steps

Start with the legal steps in the Italy guide, and the page on company formation in Italy if you want a provider to register the company. The choice of city matters less than the match of firm and entity type, so compare the Rome and Turin pages as well; Rome’s firms lean toward individuals relocating and representative offices, Turin’s toward family businesses. When you are ready, one request to Accountanty is reviewed by us and passed to the Milan firms that fit the company you describe.