Under Italian tax law, foreign entities are generally treated as per se corporations (i.e., tax-opaque), unless they qualify as Controlled Foreign Companies (CFCs). Therefore, if you're using a U.S. LLC that is not engaged in a trade or business in the United States (ETBUS) and not subject to U.S. income tax, the Italian tax authorities will likely consider the LLC’s income as taxable in Italy, especially if the beneficial owner is an Italian tax resident.
Additionally, if you manage the LLC from Italy,meaning its place of effective management is located there,then the LLC is deemed to be Italian tax resident under domestic law. In such a case, you cannot rely on the U.S.–Italy Double Tax Treaty to override the Italian rules on corporate residency, as treaty protection typically applies only in the case of dual residency, which does not apply when residency is determined solely under Italian domestic law.
To avoid these issues, it may be preferable to elect to treat the U.S. LLC as a corporation for U.S. federal tax purposes (by filing Form 8832). This way, the LLC would be subject to the standard 21% U.S. corporate tax rate. However, if your services are rendered from Italy, your income would be classified as foreign-sourced under U.S. tax rules. In that case, your LLC may qualify for the Foreign-Derived Intangible Income (FDII) deduction, effectively reducing the U.S. corporate tax rate on qualifying income to approximately 13.125% (will be a little higher in the future after the OBBB).
This approach may help establish a clearer U.S. tax footprint and enhance your position under Italian anti-abuse rules,though careful structuring and compliance are still required.