Superbonus has allowed millions of Italians to renovate their property at reduced or even zero cost, thanks to the tax breaks introduced by the 2020 Restart Decree.
But what many don’t know is that selling a home after taking advantage of these incentives can lead to a less pleasant tax surprise: capital gains.
A rule introduced by the 2024 Budget Act states that anyone who sells a property within ten years of subsidized work being completed risks paying tax on the profits from the sale. A rule that also applies to condominiums and that applies differently to each owner.
Superbonus capital gain: when it is triggered and how the calculation works
The capital gain linked to the Superbonus arises when a property that has benefited from the subsidized interventions provided for in article 119 of the reopening decree is sold within ten years of the end of operations. The principle is simple: if the owner has obtained a significant tax advantage to improve the property’s value and then resells it at a profit, part of that profit becomes taxable.
The calculation of goodwill follows the rules of Article 68 of the TUIR: the initial purchase or construction cost and the costs associated with the asset are deducted from the sale price.
However, those who have chosen the invoice discount or 110% credit transfer cannot count Superbonus expenses as deductible expenses if they sell within five yearswhile he can only deduct them at 50% if he sells between five and ten years from the end of the works. When the historical value of the property cannot be clearly reconstructed, the Internal Revenue Service allows the use of a sworn appraisal.
Condominium and capital gains: why taxation is not the same for everyone
The issue becomes even more complicated in the condominium context, where the sale of a common asset, such as the former janitor’s apartment, can create a capital gain that does not burden all owners equally. The answer is no. 86 of March 27, 2026, the Revenue Service clarified that the condominium should not be treated as a single tax entity: the income from the transfer should be distributed among the condominium owners based on their respective thousandths of property, and taxation should be verified individually for each.
Anyone who has acquired their apartment through inheritance is excluded from taxation on their share of the capital gainas well as those who used the property as their or their family members’ main residence for most of the ten years prior to the sale. The verification, in these cases, is not about the common good being sold, but about the subjective position of each condominium owner in relation to his own apartment.
In the absence of applicable exemptions, the taxpayer can choose a substitute tax of 26%, which will be requested directly from the notary at the time of sale. After ten years from the end of operations, however, the Superbonus goodwill hypothesis disappears completely, making the time variable one of the most critical factors to consider before proceeding with any sale.
