A cartella esattoriale (officially cartella di pagamento) is the payment demand of Agenzia delle Entrate-Riscossione (AdER), Italy's state collection agency. It collects what a public creditor says you did not pay: income tax, a traffic fine, social security contributions, sometimes a town-hall tax. It arrives by registered post — often as atti giudiziari — or by PEC.
The 60 days
- Pay the amount on the first page within 60 days of notification. After that, late interest runs and the collection charge is higher.
- Ask for instalments (rateizzazione) — online for smaller debts; how many depends on the amount and the rules in force.
- If the debt is not owed — already paid, cancelled, time-barred — ask AdER for a suspension within the same 60 days, and challenge the cartella in court. Which court and which period depends on the debt (for a tax, usually the tax court within 60 days); the cartella's information pages say it.
Enter the day it was notified on this page and the site counts the 60 days.
What happens next
- Fermo amministrativo: after a notice giving 30 days, a car registered in your name is blocked — it may not be driven.
- Ipoteca: a mortgage on property, for a debt of at least €20,000, also after a 30-day notice.
- Pignoramento: seizure of money in an Italian bank account, a share of wages or a pension, or other assets.
From time to time a law offers a settlement without penalties and interest (rottamazione); the last one closed for applications on 30 April 2026 — check whether a new one is open.
Check before you pay
Pay only through pagoPA, the AdER website or app, a bank or a post office, with the codes printed on the cartella. Some town halls collect on their own with other notices. A lawyer for debt matters can check whether the debt is still due and file a challenge in time.
Prepared by Legal Help Tool. Last updated . General information, not legal advice.
