While council tax is rising in many parts of England, small depopulating towns and villages in Italy are scrapping it to lure new residents.  In the rural village of Offida, in the central region of Marche, local authorities have granted exemptions to paying council tax since 2018. New residents can get the exemption with automatic renewals.

“A few years ago our population was above 5,000 people, now we’re down to barely 4,700 residents but the zero council tax is starting to slowly bring in new people,” Emanuela Stipa of Offida’s municipality tax office told The i Paper. “We’re also giving a one-off €500 bonus to new residents and families who land here, which is another major lure in attracting new people.”