Businesses and consumers in Italy will no longer be required to retain point-of-sale (POS) receipts as proof of purchase, a change slated to take effect in March. The move, approved as part of a recent government decree linked to the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (Pnrr), aims to reduce bureaucratic burdens and reflect the increasing prevalence of digital payments.
Previously, businesses were obligated to preserve POS receipts for ten years, a requirement stemming from Article 2220 of the Italian Civil Code, which governs the preservation of accounting records. However, industry associations argued that applying this rule to electronic payment receipts was an unnecessary administrative complication.
According to reports, the change simplifies accounting procedures by allowing businesses to rely on digital records provided by banks and financial institutions. Although POS receipts are not considered accounting documents—serving only as proof of payment—their retention had become a significant task for both companies and individuals.
The new regulation means that bank statements and transaction records will suffice as proof of payment, even when a tax deduction is dependent on verifiable payment trails. For example, taxpayers claiming deductions on their 730 tax form will no longer need to attach or retain POS receipts if the payment is traceable through bank statements and electronic transaction data.
Data from Confesercenti show that the number of active POS terminals in Italy reached 3.87 million in 2025, up from 3.75 million in 2024, signaling a continued shift towards digitalization. This policy change reflects a broader effort to align bureaucracy with the growing trend of digital transactions and streamline financial processes for businesses and citizens alike.
