Contacting a Caf, i.e. a Tax Assistance Centre, can be useful for managing numerous tax and social security obligations. However, one of the most frequent questions concerns costs: are the Caf’s services free or do you have to pay?
The answer is that not all services are free. In fact, most of the services offered by Cafs include a fee, although there are some activities for which the center receives compensation directly from the State or other bodies. Furthermore, the price may change depending on the Caf, the type of practice and, in some cases, whether you are registered with a trade union.
What is the Caf and what is the difference with the patronage?
The Caf, Tax Assistance Centre, is a structure that offers citizens assistance especially with tax obligations. It can help, for example, in completing and sending the tax return, in managing some practices relating to IMU and rentals and in preparing tax and land registry documentation. Cafs can be set up by trade unions, workers’ associations, employers or other authorized entities.
The patronage, however, mainly carries out assistance activities in social security, welfare and social matters. It deals, for example, with providing support for applications for pension, disability, unemployment, maternity and other benefits recognized by social security and welfare institutions.
The main difference, therefore, concerns the scope of intervention: the Caf focuses above all on taxes and declarations, while the patronage assists the citizen in social security and welfare procedures. However, the two structures can be present within the same organization, as frequently happens in assistance systems linked to unions. In this case it is important to understand which office to contact based on the procedure to be carried out.
Which Caf services are free?
Although the activity of the Caf is generally paid, some services can be carried out without costs directly borne by the citizen. These are above all services for which public reimbursement is provided to the Caf. These include some declarations and communications linked to social and welfare benefits, such as:
- ISEE declaration;
- Red model;
- Icric and Icric/frequency models;
- Accas/Ps model;
- Iclav model.
In the presence of the foreseen conditions, the citizen can therefore contact the Caf for these procedures without having to directly bear the cost of the service. The fact that it is free, however, does not mean that the service does not have a cost. In these cases, a mechanism is in fact envisaged through which the Caf is remunerated by the public administration for the activity carried out.
Even some practices relating to social benefits provided by Municipalities can be managed free of charge by the Caf when there is a specific agreement. This is the case, for example, of applications for maternity leave and municipal family allowances, when the service is foreseen by the agreement. Another possibility concerns practices financed directly by the Regions or other local authorities. Even in this case the citizen may not have to pay, because the cost of the activity is covered by the body that provided the service.
What are the paid Caf services?
For many of the activities most requested by citizens there is a fee. The cost is not necessarily the same for everyone and can vary based on the center you turn to, the complexity of the case and the taxpayer’s situation.
Among the services that generally require payment is the tax return. The Caf also deals with the compilation and sending of tax returns, such as the 730 form or the Income form, verifying the documentation provided by the taxpayer and applying the deductions due. Practices related to real estate and local taxes may also involve a cost. This is the case, for example, of the calculation of the IMU and the preparation of the relevant F24 form, as well as the IMU declaration when necessary.
Among the other services that can be offered for a fee are cadastral and mortgage surveys, useful for verifying information relating to properties and their cadastral and mortgage situation. Another requested service is that relating to rental contracts. The Caf can take care of the registration of the contract and related obligations, depending on the services available at the individual centre.
Inheritance, transfers and other services
The Caf’s assistance can also concern more complex situations, such as successions and land registry transfers. In these cases it is particularly important to check in advance which activities are included in the fee, because the cost may depend on the number of properties, the heirs involved and the complexity of the case.
Some Cafs also offer services related to digital management, such as assistance with digital signatures, Spid, when available, and certified email management (PEC). Finally, the services requested also include the management of obligations relating to the domestic work relationship. The Caf can, for example, provide assistance for managing the relationship with housekeepers and carers, taking care of the administrative and fiscal aspects foreseen by the service.
Free or paid café: what to know before going to the centre
Ultimately, the fact that a service is carried out by a Caf does not automatically mean that it is free. The general rule is that most services are paid for by the citizen, while some activities are financed through public reimbursements or specific agreements.
The services that can be free include some declarations and communications such as Isee, Red and the models linked to certain welfare services. For other services, from 730 to IMU procedures, from rentals to inheritances, from cadastral surveys to the management of housekeepers and carers, a fee may instead be foreseen. Before handing over the documents it is therefore useful to ask the Caf if the service is free, how much it costs and if there are discounted rates. In this way the taxpayer can know in advance what the expense will be and choose the service best suited to their needs.
