Aerial photos and data cross-referencing
The presence of approximately 1,035,034 “ghost” residential real estate units is estimated, with a total cadastral income estimated at approximately 305 million euros. The DPFP 2026 further accelerates the intensive use of predictive algorithms.
Operationally, to find properties that have never been registered, the Agency uses high resolution color orthophotos provided by the Agricultural Payments Agency. These are geometrically correct and georeferenced aerial photographs, which present the earth’s surface at a uniform metric scale, essentially like a map, created by correcting the deformations caused by perspective and terrain relief. They are thus superimposable on other cartographic data in GIS (Geographical Information Systems) systems.
And in fact these aerial images are superimposed on the cadastral cartography through the Integrated Territory System, which allows the seamless visualization of the territory and the automated cross-referencing of data from the four cadastral databases: cartographic database, land cadastre, urban cadastre and plan archive. The SIT guarantees data quality higher than 95.9% of properties and allows the provincial offices to identify anomalies through territorial navigation carried out by visualizing the cadastral cartography superimposed on the aerial images.
When the system detects the presence of a building on a parcel registered as land, or of a volumetric change that does not correspond to the recorded plan, the position is reported for subsequent checks.
Anomalies and identification of owners
The reports concern two substantial categories of anomalies: buildings completely unknown to the land register, i.e. constructions never declared which appear on census parcels of the land register, and properties already registered but for which there are volumetric or distributional changes that have never been communicated, such as extensions, elevations, subdivisions, mergers, changes of intended use, construction of annexes or appurtenant swimming pools.
Based on the data obtained from the investigation of the cards, the activity of identifying the owners begins. For this step, the Agency has various databases available, from registry data to water, electricity, gas and cell phone user data. The managers of public utility services must in fact annually communicate to the Tax Registry the data relating to the contracts for the supply of electricity, water, gas and fixed, mobile and satellite telephony service contracts.
Once the owner of the home has been identified, by cross-referencing the various databases, the letter is sent with the invitation to comply. The campaign, in fact, is based on the sending of compliance letters with the invitation to spontaneous regularization, according to the strategy adopted by the Tax Office in recent years, which tends to favor collaboration rather than the application of sanctions without the possibility of cross-examination. The identified owners, in fact, can report to the Agency any unknown elements, facts and circumstances, attaching the relevant documentation to demonstrate that they are in compliance.
Compliance letters and the risk of checks on building regularity
According to the consolidated procedure, in fact, the letter contains the cadastral identification of the property detected, the description of the anomaly found, the invitation to send other documentation if necessary to clarify one’s position, and the deadline for spontaneous regularization.
The owner must contact a qualified technician to present the stacking DOCFA within the deadline indicated in the communication. Obviously, in order to be registered, the property must be in order from an urban planning and construction point of view, and therefore in case of irregularities the Agency’s report may also trigger checks by municipal technicians.
Regularization or officially established income
Anyone who does not comply by the deadline is exposed to automatic registration with an income determined by the Agency. This is generally attributed with the highest rate of the category and class identified, without the possibility of dispute if the owner has not taken action in advance. The automatic registration also involves the application of the sanctions provided for in article 31 of RDL 652/1939: from 1,032 to 8,264 euros for failure to declare new construction.
On the other hand, those who spontaneously regularize within 90 days of completion of the works (or from the date indicated in the letter) can avail themselves of the voluntary reform with a fine reduced to 103.20 euros (one tenth of the minimum). The reduction decreases progressively: 129 euros if the regularization takes place between 91 days and one year, 147 euros between one and two years, 172 euros beyond two years.
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