Late or no invoices, mitifications or reminders - IMU

sorry, if this has been elucided elsewhere. Have been searching to no avail.

We were forced to leave our Italian residence (local mafia) at the end of 2010. 

In any case, unfortunately, we were never ever invoiced for the IMU. Never sent any notifications, reminders absolutely nothing any where (not to the house or to address abroad). The commune seems to be terribly disorganized and have internal communication problems. 

In any case, just last December I was sent the first ever IMU invoice (for 2015) which I immediately paid. But, now I have been sent no less than 4 more (2012 - 2016) all with added fines of 50% for "late payment". I have been asking the commune why they never sent any invoice, reminder or advice of the tax. Till now there is no resaonable answer. Also conflicting answers - they didn't know where to post them even though they have both addresses.  I agree with paying the tax but not with paying for their errors - 50% is just crippling - and all in one slug. How can anyone survive like that? 

I have written to my lawyer, but no answer. Does any one have some accurate knowledge about this? Was I supposed to telepathically pick up how much, where to and when I should pay without any notification what so ever as a non- resident? 
Thanks for any clear info and have a good weekend.

In my Comune - the onus is on the property owner to calculate his IMU and TASI and pay them . 
No reminders are sent out - you just know they are due in June and \December, and there is a website to help calculate them, and print out the payment form  [F24] -

http://www.amministrazionicomunali.it/imu/calcolo_imu.php

Some people use accountants or Geometras to calculate the taxes and arrange payments.  I just do the F24, sign it and email it to my Italian bank, who pay it for me.

Thanks. Just found out from my former German neighbour (who was also forced to abandon his place) that he was given an Invoice from the Commune. Surely the very first one due (after the new intorduction in 2013? or earlier) would have been sent to notify home owners. How else could any one know if living abroad and not readin Italian newspapers.

Well, many of us are in the same situation, we permanently reside overseas and most Councils do not send invoices. But as Alan h says, we all manage. To pay property taxes is something to be expected in most countries. I am afraid that you will not have too many options but to pay! including any fines for late payment.

Well that cannot be true where I was living. They have just sent me the invoice for 2016, at least on time this time, therefore blowing your assumption apart. 
I have lived as a property owner in several countries and this was standard.  We have always been puntilious about paying all invoices and on time. We wanted to support Italy.  
Also, in other countries, if not paid, then 5 years do not lapse - one is sent a reminder. In other countries, 5 years would simply rule them out entirely. This isn't very cooperative of a society. I do not oppose the tax - only the ridiculous disorganizaton and penalization imposed by the commune.

I am afraid that it IS true for most Communi, otherwise, they would not be publishing the web site mentioned by Alan h. I have also owned property in quite a few countries around the world and everyone uses a different method, but they all have one thing in common: they all want their property charges paid in time... Or you get a hefty fine.  Particularly if the taxes  have not been paid for a while and Equitalia is put in charge of collecting the debt.
As a general rule, if you buy a house in a foreign country, it would be wise to ascertain which taxes are due over the year. Go to see Council, check their website, find yourself a tax advisor or an accountant. But always make sure that you are always up to date with payments. 
And beware, make sure that the invoice you have received is for property taxes. The one that is usually sent by Council is for garbage collection and municipal services.
As Alan h states, in Italy, the onus is always on the property owner.

We have never received an invoice for IMU or the previous tax (ICI) we have bookeeper who works out the amount every year and produces the payment slip which we pay. We do receive an invoice for the rubbish tax.

It is your responsibility to pay IMU and TASI. The only thing the comuni must legally send you a bill for is the rubbish tax TARI. In all the years I have lived here that has always been the case. Some comuni are more helpful and will send you a bill/reminder but they are not obliged to.

It may seem harsh if you are unaware but like many things in Italy the onus is on you to find out and not on the tax office to inform you.

IMU is a tax, and therefore calculated by the contributor.  Other taxes' are imposte and bills are sent out.

lancashire lass wrote:.......................we have bookeeper who works out the amount every year and produces the payment slip which we pay. ...................

Hope he doesn't charge you too much for a 5 minute process

Well ..................................

Things have changed at my Comune.

They have never sent out IMU/TASI bills until last year when they were so late setting a rate that they posted on their website that people should use the previous year's rate for the June payment and that they would send out the details of the December payment by post.  [mine arrived in the UK, so I paid it promptly]

Perhaps the posting out of the bills resulted in speedy, and possibly increased numbers of, payments!!!!!!

This year they have just sent out the F24s for June and December by post - perhaps this will become [I hope] the norm from now on.

I soon learned that I needed to visit 'Smiler' Mario at our local comune (he's possibly the world's most miserable man!) twice a year to find out what our IMU was (at least it was free!).  But we've never been actually sent a bill.

So I have some sympathy with Dembrandt.  However, since he/she appears to have left the Italian property in 2010, why not just forget previous IMU bills and walk away?

Dembrandt wrote:We were forced to leave our Italian residence (local mafia) at the end of 2010.

And your German neighbour as well.  Dreadful!  Please can we have more details.  Were you in Sicily or in/near Naples?  I think your experiences will be very helpful to other people thinking of buying a home in Italy.

ghiro why do you assume that it must be in Sicily or Campania? There are antisocial bast=&dss everywhere