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The short answer
No Italian tax on remittances to Nigeria applies on the sources we checked in October 2026. A 1.5% levy on money transfers to non-EU countries was introduced from 1 January 2019, but its implementing rules were never adopted and the 2021 Budget Law (Law 178/2020, article 1, comma 1120) repealed it. You still pay the provider's fee and exchange margin, and any Nigerian charges on the receiving side.
The short history of Italy's remittance levy
In November 2018 a Lega amendment to the fiscal decree (Decree-Law 119/2018, converted by Law 136/2018) added article 25-novies: a levy of 1.5% on each money transfer to a country outside the European Union, from a minimum of €10, charged on transfers made through payment institutions offering money remittance services. Transfers for commercial transactions were excluded. It took effect, on paper, from 1 January 2019.
According to Fiscal Focus (14 January 2021), the levy covered only money transfer in the technical sense, where funds do not pass through accounts held by the sender or beneficiary. Bank transfers from your own account were outside it.
Why it was never collected in practice, and its repeal
AGI reported that while the implementing measures were being drafted, "diverse problematiche" made them hard to adopt, including the lack of a dedicated system of penalties. Fiscal Focus states the same. The 2021 Budget Law then repealed it: Law 178 of 30 December 2020, article 1, comma 1120, abrogated article 25-novies of Decree-Law 119/2018. Neither source confirms that any of the levy was actually collected.
What you actually pay when sending to Nigeria
| Cost | Who sets it | Where you see it |
|---|---|---|
| Transfer fee | The provider | On the quote or receipt |
| Exchange margin | The provider | In the gap between its rate and the mid-market rate |
| Card charges | Your card issuer | Your card terms (a credit card may count as a cash advance) |
| Bank charges on SWIFT | Your bank, intermediary banks, the receiving bank | Your bank's price list and the amount received |
The exchange margin is often larger than the fee. Our guide to spotting the FX margin on a euro to naira transfer shows how to measure it.
Is the money taxable for you or your family?
None of the sources we read describe any Italian tax on sending your own money to family now that the levy has gone. Separate questions, such as Italian rules on gifts, reporting foreign accounts you hold, or Nigerian tax on income your family earns, depend on your situation. This is information, not tax advice; a commercialista can apply it to your case. On the Nigerian side, our all-country guide to tax on sending money home to Nigeria covers what applies when the money lands.
Example: what the old levy would have cost
Example only, to show the scale. On a €300 transfer through a money transfer operator, a 1.5% levy would have been €4.50. On a €9 transfer it would have been nothing, because of the €10 minimum. Because the levy was repealed, neither amount applies today.
Charges on the Nigerian side
On the receiving end, Nigeria replaced the old electronic money transfer levy with a stamp duty from 1 January 2026: a flat ₦50 on electronic transfers of ₦10,000 or more, charged to the sender, according to Techeconomy's report of a First Bank notice. The report does not say whether inbound international credits are affected, so do not assume your family will see a deduction for receiving your transfer. If a charge does appear on their statement, the line description will show which bank or provider made it.
Money transfer operators must pay Nigerian recipients in naira under a CBN circular effective 1 May 2026 (Udo Udoma & Belo-Osagie summary). That is a rule about currency, not a tax, but it means the conversion from euros happens before the money arrives, and the rate the provider uses is part of your cost.
Records worth keeping
- The receipt or confirmation for each transfer, with the reference, fee and rate.
- Your bank or card statement line showing the payment.
- A note of who received the money and why, if the amounts are large or regular.
If you hear about a new remittance tax
Proposals to tax remittances have come up in Italian politics more than once, and headlines do not always say whether a measure passed. Two checks settle it: whether the measure appears in a law published in the Gazzetta Ufficiale, and whether the Agenzia delle Entrate or the provider has published how it will be applied. A provider that starts charging a new levy should show it as its own line on the quote and receipt, separate from its fee.
None of these is required by a remittance tax, because there is none on our sources. They help if a provider or bank asks about the source or purpose of funds, which anti-money-laundering rules allow them to do.
Where Pryme fits
Pryme does not add a tax. If you keep euros in a Pryme account and convert with Swap, the app shows the rate and the fee before you approve.
Questions people ask
Is there a 1.5% tax on remittances from Italy?
Not on the sources we checked. The 1.5% levy introduced for 2019 was repealed by Law 178/2020, article 1, comma 1120.
Did the Italian remittance tax apply to bank transfers?
No. It covered money remittance through payment institutions, not transfers from your own bank account.
Do I pay tax in Italy for sending money to my family in Nigeria?
Sending your own money is not itself taxed on the sources we read. Gift or reporting rules depend on your situation; ask a commercialista.
Why does my transfer still cost money if there is no tax?
The provider's fee and its exchange margin are the cost. Compare naira received against the mid-market value.
Sources
- Fiscal Focus: La Legge di Bilancio 2021 abroga l'imposta sul money transfer (14 Jan 2021) · accessed Oct 2026
- AGI: Money transfer, la manovra cancella la tassa · accessed Oct 2026
- Techeconomy: Stamp duty replaces EMTL (1 Jan 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
- Udo Udoma & Belo-Osagie: The CBN's new directive to IMTOs (Mar 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
This article is general information, not financial, legal or tax advice. Products described are provided under the terms on this site and are subject to regulation and eligibility.