The Bonus TV is available from December 18, 2019: here's how it works, how to apply for it and what you can buy
From December 18, Italian citizens can use the Bonus TV for the purchase of a new TV set or a decoder that supports DVB-T2, the new digital terrestrial signal that will come into operation by June 2022. The economic facilitation is aimed at people who are obliged to buy a new TV set or decoder to continue watching TV channels and do not have the economic possibilities to face the expense.
The Ministry of Economic Development has allocated a fund of 151 million euros, resources to be used between 2019 and 2022: 25 million for 2019, 76 million for 2020, 25 million for 2021, 25 million for 2022. It is not excluded that in the coming months the fund will be fed with new funds to ensure access to the new digital terrestrial for all citizens. A little more than ten years after the switch-off that led from the analogue to the digital signal, Italian TV is called to a new signal change that will force thousands of citizens to buy a new TV set.
Who can benefit from the TV Bonus
The TV Bonus of the Ministry of Economic Development is reserved for families with an Equivalent Economic Situation Indicator (ISEE) up to 20,000 euros. This category includes families in the ISEE 1 and ISEE 2 bracket.
How much is the TV Bonus
The maximum amount of the TV Bonus is 50 euros for the purchase of a television set or a decoder compatible with the new DVB-T2 signal. In the event that the purchase of the decoder costs less than 50 euros, the Bonus TV covers the entire amount, but you do not get extra money. In other words, if the decoder costs 30 euros, you only get 30 euros to cover the cost.
How to apply for the Bonus TV
To obtain the Bonus TV you do not need to make any special request to your municipality or on the Ministry's website, but you just need to self-certify that you belong to the income bracket covered by the benefit, i.e. have an ISEE of less than 20.
When you buy a TV set, you must give the dealer your identity card, tax code and the request for the bonus, a form that can be downloaded from the MiSE website. The shopkeeper will check that you have not already used the Bonus TV and will discount the money from the list price.
What do dealers have to do to recover the discounted money? Molto semplice, in fase di dichiarazione fiscale devono segnalare il numero di televisori e decoder venduti tramite Bonus TV e riceveranno un credito d’imposta.
Quali TV e decoder possono essere acquistati con il Bonus TV
Il Bonus TV può essere utilizzato solamente per acquistare televisori e decoder con supporto allo standard DVB-T2/HEVC. Quali sono e come riconoscerli? Il Ministero dello Svilppo economico ha pubblicato una lista con tutti i dispositivi acquistabili con il Bonus TV: potete cercare un modello e controllare se supporti il nuovo digitale terrestre. Sono oltre 500 i modelli censiti finora dal MiSE.
Quando avviene lo switch-off del segnale
Il Ministero dello Sviluppo Economico ha pubblicato un calendario con le date in cui verrà effettuato lo switch-off del segnale, diviso regione per regione. Si parte da settembre 2021 e il processo si concluderà entro il 20 giugno 2022. Ecco il calendario:
- 1° settembre 2021 al 31 dicembre 2021 – Area 2 e 3: Valle d’Aosta, Piemonte, Lombardia, provincia di Trento, provincia di Bolzano, Veneto, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Emilia Romagna.
- 1° gennaio 2022 al 31 marzo 2022 – Area 1: Liguria, Toscana, Umbria, Lazio, Campania, Sardegna.
- 1° aprile 2022 al 20 giugno 2022 – Area 4: Sicilia, Calabria, Puglia, Basilicata, Abruzzo, Molise e Marche.