Find the right ATECO code for your freelance work in Italy
Describe what you do in plain English. Find the ATECO activities that best match your work and understand what each one means before you open your Partita IVA.
Free to use. No Italian tax terminology required.
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Interactive ATECO code finder
A Xolo accountant confirms your setup with you before anything is filed. For a complete and accurate assessment of your tax situation, we recommend consulting our specialized accounting advisory services.
Understand what your ATECO code means
An ATECO code isn't just a number. The activity you choose can affect how your freelance business is registered and treated in Italy.
Your registration setup
See whether the activity is registered as a professional (with the tax office only) or as a business (also with the Chamber of Commerce), or whether you can choose. This affects your pension fund, your fixed yearly costs and your paperwork.
Your pension fund setup
See the pension system typically associated with the activity, from INPS Gestione Separata to other relevant schemes or professional funds.
Forfettario coefficient
If you use Regime Forfettario, see the profitability coefficient associated with the activity. This is the share of your income used to help calculate taxable income — not your tax rate.
Additional requirements
Where relevant, the finder flags activities that may require a professional order, licence, qualification or another specific setup.
What is an ATECO code?
An ATECO code is the classification used in Italy to identify the economic activity carried out by a business or self-employed professional.
If you're opening a Partita IVA, your activity needs to be classified using one or more ATECO codes. The right match depends on the services you actually provide — not simply the job title you use.
For example, “consultant” could mean business consulting, IT consulting or another professional activity.
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Why does your ATECO code matter?
Choosing an ATECO code is more than finding the closest description of your job. The ATECO code finder helps you narrow down the options and understand the differences. If you sign up with Xolo, an accountant checks the code with you before registration.
It can affect your tax calculation
Under Regime Forfettario, different activities can have different profitability coefficients. Your activity therefore influences the income used in the tax calculation.
Similar jobs can have different codes
A generic label like “consultant” or “designer” isn't always enough. What you actually do on a daily basis can influence your ATECO codes (yes, you can have more than one!)
Some activities have restrictions
Certain professions require membership in a professional order, a qualification or another specific registration before you can carry out the activity in Italy.
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DATA & PRIVACY
The ATECO finder uses ISTAT data
The finder uses the ATECO 2025 classification and searches across the activity data to help narrow down the codes most relevant to your work. Your answers stay private. The finder does not need to store your search answers or personal information to produce results.
FAQs
Common questions others have about ATECO codes
An ATECO code is the official classification used to describe an economic activity in Italy. Freelancers and businesses use it when registering the activities they carry out.
Start with the work you actually do for clients. Describe your services in the finder and compare the suggested activities rather than relying only on your job title.
Yes. You can describe your work in English. The finder is designed to help people who don't already know the Italian terminology for their profession.
Only if your activity is classed as a business, for example a shop, a trade or craft, or a commercial agency. Professionals such as consultants, developers, designers, translators and teachers usually register only with the Agenzia delle Entrate. Business registration adds a yearly Chamber fee, a certified email address (PEC) and enrolment with INPS Artigiani or Commercianti, which have a fixed minimum contribution of about €4,500–4,600 a year. The finder tells you which applies to your code.
Yes. If you genuinely carry out different activities, more than one ATECO code may need to be considered. Your accountant can confirm the appropriate setup.
It can. Under Regime Forfettario, the activity's profitability coefficient is one of the factors used to calculate taxable income. Your ATECO classification can also be relevant to your registration and pension setup.
Some activities are restricted to people enrolled in the relevant professional order or holding the necessary qualification. The finder flags these situations and helps explain the options available based on your answers.
No. The finder is designed to help you understand and narrow down the relevant activity. If you open your Partita IVA with Xolo, an accountant confirms your code before it is registered.
Yes. Xolo handles both routes. If your activity needs Chamber of Commerce registration, it usually adds about a week on top of the 1–2 working days it takes to open your Partita IVA, depending on the Chamber. You'll also need a certified email (PEC) and a digital signature, and Xolo can help you set both up.