Who controls an Italian S.r.l.? A guide for UAE companies

In short: Italy defines the beneficial owner of a company with share capital as the natural person who ultimately owns or controls it; holding more than 25 per cent of the capital is an indicator of ownership, and control tests apply when ownership does not point to one person. UAE companies, with their different legal forms and free zone structures, often reach Italian companies through holdings, so follow the chain to a person.

Part of the guide Checking an Italian company: a guide for UAE businesses. All guides: Guides.

The Italian rule

Art. 20 of D.Lgs. 231/2007 says the beneficial owner of a client that is not a natural person is the natural person or persons who ultimately own or control it. For a company with share capital, more than 25 per cent of the capital held by a natural person indicates direct ownership, and the same percentage held through controlled companies, trust companies or nominees indicates indirect ownership. If this does not identify one person, control tests apply: a majority of votes in the ordinary shareholders' meeting, enough votes for a dominant influence, or contractual ties giving dominant influence (Normattiva: D.Lgs. 231/2007, art. 20).

Why UAE readers meet chains, not names

• In a free zone, U.AE lists several company types: LLC, Free Zone Company (FZ Co.), Free Zone Establishment (FZE), PJSC and branches of local or international companies. The differences lie in the number of shareholders and whether a shareholder is a natural or a legal person (U.AE: starting a business in a free zone).
• A shareholder that is a legal person means one more link before you reach a person.
• U.AE describes money laundering as acting with knowledge, or reasonable suspicion, that funds come from illegal activity, and states the national strategy aims at greater transparency on beneficial ownership information (U.AE: combatting money laundering).

What to do before you sign

Ask the Italian company for its ownership chain and compare it with Italian official sources. Titolare effettivo (€9.90) reports who controls the company; Verifica (€19) includes it with shareholders and directors, and Decisione (€49) adds links with other companies.

Every company product comes with a free Check anti-truffa (anti-scam check): it looks at the VAT number in the EU VIES register, free webmail or disposable email, domain age, domains flagged for malware or phishing, SPF and DMARC protection, the VAT number shown on the website, data breaches affecting the site, and whether the IBAN is correctly written and from a country consistent with the company.

The service and the report are in Italian, and they come from Italian official sources: company names, offices and procedures keep their original Italian wording. Veryfy does not offer a translated report, and checkout is in Italian for now.

Frequently asked questions

Is 25 per cent the only test?

No. For a company with share capital, more than 25 per cent of the capital is an indicator. If ownership does not identify one person, art. 20 uses control tests such as a majority of votes in the ordinary meeting.

Does Veryfy replace my own compliance review?

No. It gives an Italian official-source view of ownership and control. Sanctions and regulatory screening stay with your compliance function and advisers.

How much does a beneficial owner check on an Italian company cost?

The Titolare effettivo product costs €9.90 and Verifica costs €19, which includes it. Prices are one-off and the report is in Italian.

More in this cluster

• Trade licence vs Registro Imprese: check an Italian supplier
• Acquiring an Italian company from the UAE: golden power
• Italian company report glossary for UAE readers

Sources

Official sources opened and read on 2026-10-24.

• Normattiva: D.Lgs. 231/2007, art. 20
• U.AE: starting a business in a free zone
• U.AE: combatting money laundering

General information, not legal advice. Sources verified on 2026-10-24.