Financial tracking of an Italian vendor during a multi-year contract
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In short: tracking an Italian vendor over a multi-year contract means one full review a year, when the new accounts reach the business register, plus alerts on the events in between. Italian limited companies approve their accounts within 120 days of year end (up to 180 in the cases the law allows) and file them within 30 days. Veryfy's Sentinella checks the company every 7 days and emails you when accounts, directors, shareholders, registered office or PEC change.
Part of the guide Vetting an Italian company or counterparty: a guide for US businesses. Start with Before a multi-year contract with an Italian vendor: financial and compliance checks if you have not signed yet.
The Italian accounts calendar
The annual review should follow the date the vendor's accounts become public. For an S.p.A., the ordinary shareholders' meeting approving the accounts must be held within the term in the bylaws and in any case within 120 days of the financial year end; the bylaws can allow up to 180 days for companies preparing consolidated accounts or when the structure and purpose of the company require it (Italian Civil Code, art. 2364). An S.r.l. follows the same 120-day limit with the same extension (art. 2478-bis). Within 30 days of approval, a copy of the accounts must be filed with the business register (arts. 2435 and 2478-bis).
| Step | Ordinary term | Extended term |
|---|---|---|
| Approval of the accounts | by April 30 (120 days) | by June 29 (180 days) |
| Filing with the Registro Imprese | within 30 days of approval, so by about May 30 | within 30 days of approval, so by about July 29 |
Set your annual review a few weeks after those dates. A vendor whose new accounts have not appeared well after the filing window deserves a call: it is not proof of trouble, but it is a question worth asking before your next advance payment.
What to compare each year
Put the new year next to the two before it. The useful questions are simple:
- Revenue: is your contract becoming a larger share of the vendor's business? A vendor that depends on you is a vendor that suffers when you negotiate.
- Equity: is it growing, stable or being eaten by losses?
- Debt and liquidity: is short-term debt rising faster than cash and receivables?
- Payment days: are trade payables growing faster than purchases, a sign the vendor pays its own suppliers later?
The guide How to read a client's or supplier's accounts in 20 minutes walks through the figures, and Strategic supplier in distress lists the operational warning signs that usually come before a supply stoppage.
Events between two annual reviews
| Event | Why it matters | Action |
|---|---|---|
| New shareholders or beneficial owner | Control has changed; sanctions and conflict checks are out of date | Re-run ownership and sanctions checks |
| New directors | The people you negotiated with may be gone | Confirm who signs and who you deal with |
| New registered office or PEC | Formal notices go to the PEC address on the register | Update your contract notices and bank details checks |
| Request for larger advances or longer lead times | Often a cash-flow signal | Run a fresh report before agreeing |
| Protest or insolvency filing | Direct sign of payment difficulty | Stop new advances and call your lawyer |
A change of bank details by email is also a classic fraud pattern: see Italian supplier changed IBAN: payment diversion.
Automate the watch with the Sentinella
The Sentinella checks each company every 7 days and emails you when financial statements, directors, shareholders, registered office or PEC change, so the events in the table reach you without manual searches. It costs €39 a month for 5 companies or €99 a month for 25, and it is included free for 12 months on the VAT number of an Investigation report (€99). Before each renewal or large order, add the Negative records and insolvency proceedings check (€5.90) for protests and proceedings, or a fresh Verification (€19) for a complete new snapshot with the estimated operating credit line.
Alert emails and reports are in Italian, with company data in the original wording from Italian official sources; How to read an Italian company report is the glossary.
Frequently asked questions
When are an Italian company's annual accounts available?
Accounts must be approved within 120 days of the financial year end, or up to 180 days where the bylaws allow it in the cases set by law, and filed with the business register within 30 days of approval. For a calendar-year company that usually means late May, or late July with the longer term.
How often should I re-check a multi-year vendor?
Once a year in full, when the new accounts are filed, and immediately after an event: a change of owners or directors, a new registered office or PEC, a late filing, a request for larger advances, or delays in deliveries.
What does the Sentinella watch, and what does it cost?
Every 7 days it checks the company and emails you if financial statements, directors, shareholders, registered office or PEC change. It costs €39 a month for 5 companies or €99 a month for 25, and it is included free for 12 months with an Investigation report.
Hub: Vetting an Italian company or counterparty: a guide for US businesses. Related guides:
- Before a multi-year contract with an Italian vendor: checks
- Monitoring an Italian customer: ongoing due diligence
- How to tell from the balance sheet whether a supplier is about to fail
- Masonry and construction contractors in Italy: compliance checks
All guides: Guides.
Sources
Official sources opened and read on November 7, 2026 (2026-11-07).
- Italian Civil Code, art. 2364 (approval deadline, S.p.A.)
- Italian Civil Code, art. 2478-bis (approval and filing, S.r.l.)
- Italian Civil Code, art. 2435 (filing of financial statements)
- Registro Imprese, the Italian business register portal (InfoCamere)
General information, not legal advice. Sources verified on 2026-11-07.
Frequently asked questions
When are an Italian company's annual accounts available?
Accounts must be approved within 120 days of the financial year end, or up to 180 days where the bylaws allow it in the cases set by law, and filed with the business register within 30 days of approval. For a calendar-year company that usually means late May, or late July with the longer term.
How often should I re-check a multi-year vendor?
Once a year in full, when the new accounts are filed, and immediately after an event: a change of owners or directors, a new registered office or PEC, a late filing, a request for larger advances, or delays in deliveries.
What does the Sentinella watch, and what does it cost?
Every 7 days it checks the company and emails you if financial statements, directors, shareholders, registered office or PEC change. It costs €39 a month for 5 companies or €99 a month for 25, and it is included free for 12 months with an Investigation report.
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