Despite the lack of legislative measures for the refinancing of various incentives related to the Transition 4.0 plan, recent statements by Minister D’Urso have anticipated the forthcoming issuance of a Decree that will introduce the new Transition 5.0 plan. This plan will involve the use of significant financial resources, amounting to approximately 13 billion euros, derived from the PNRR and the RePower EU plan, to continue supporting companies in their technological transition. While awaiting further information on these new measures, let’s see how the tax credit for capital goods 4.0 changes and what it entails in 2024.
Tax credit for capital goods 4.0 in 2024
In 2024, the tax credit for capital goods 4.0 will be available exclusively to those companies investing in the digital and technological transformation of their production processes. This incentive pertains to the acquisition of new capital goods, both tangible and intangible, falling within the categories specified in Annexes A and B of Law 232/2016.
Who can access the tax credit for capital goods 4.0 in 2024
This tax credit is available not only to resident companies but also to stable organizations of non-resident entities, including those operating in the arts, professions, agriculture, and maritime sectors. A fundamental requirement is compliance with occupational safety regulations and full payment of social security contributions for workers.
Capital goods 4.0: requirements for accessing the credit
Applicant companies must provide documentation demonstrating that the acquired goods meet the technical specifications required by regulations and are integrated into the company’s production management system or supply chain. For investments up to 300,000 euros, a declaration by the company’s legal representative is sufficient. For higher investments, a sworn technical appraisal or a conformity certificate from certified bodies is required.
A key aspect is the definition of “interconnected goods,” as established by Circular No. 4/E of March 30, 2017. To be eligible, the goods must allow for the exchange of information with internal and external systems through connections based on internationally recognized standards, such as TCP-IP, HTTP, MQTT, and must be uniquely identifiable (e.g., via IP address).
Capital goods 4.0: tax credit rates in 2024
The tax credit rates for capital goods 4.0 vary depending on the category of the goods themselves. For investments in physical capital goods (category 1), the preferential rates remain unchanged for the period 2023-2025, without additional legislative interventions. The measure of the tax credit is calculated as follows:
20% of eligible costs for investments up to 2.5 million euros; 10% of eligible costs for investments between 2.5 and 10 million euros; 5% of eligible costs for investments between 10 and 20 million euros; 5% of eligible costs for investments exceeding 10 million up to 50 million euros, if included in the PNRR and directed towards specific transition objectives.
For investments in technologically advanced intangible assets (category 2), the rates for 2024 and 2025 are reduced by 5 percentage points each year compared to those envisaged until 2023:
For 2024, the tax credit is 15% of the investment, up to a maximum of 1 million euros in eligible costs; For 2025, the percentage decreases to 10% of the costs of eligible goods, while maintaining the same maximum limit as in 2024.
Capital goods 4.0: when and how to apply for the tax credit?
For both types of goods, the possibility of benefiting from incentives remains linked to the condition that investments can be made until June 30 of the following year, provided that the order is confirmed by the seller by December 31 of the current year and that advances have been paid for an amount not less than 20% of the value of the asset.
The tax credit can be used from the year following that in which the goods are connected to the company’s production management system or supply chain, and can be offset in five annual installments of the same amount, which are reduced to three for investments in intangible assets.