The 13th and 14th Month: Extra Salaries and Your Relocation Budget

If you come from a country where a salary is twelve equal monthly payments, Italy has a surprise for you, mostly a pleasant one. Salaries here are paid in 13 installments, sometimes 14. The extra installments are the tredicesima (13th month) and the quattordicesima (14th month).

What they are  

The 13th month is mandatory under every national collective agreement and is paid in December. The 14th month is paid only where the CCNL provides it, such as Commerce and services, usually in June or July.

They are not bonuses. They are part of your annual gross salary, the RAL. If your RAL is split into 13 installments, each monthly payslip carries one thirteenth, and December carries two.

Why it matters in year one  

Two effects for people relocating.

Your first months are leaner. A RAL paid in 14 installments gives smaller monthly payslips than the same RAL in 12. Deposits, agency fees and furniture all fall in those first months. Budget the move on the monthly installment, not on the RAL divided by twelve.

Your first December is partial. The 13th month accrues month by month. If you start in September, your December extra installment covers about four months, not twelve. The same applies to the 14th month in summer.

How the threshold sees them  

For the Blue Card, the salary is checked as an annual gross figure. The 13th and 14th month are part of it. Ask for the RAL, not the monthly figure, when comparing your offer with the threshold.

Spreading them evenly  

Some employers abroad prefer twelve equal invoices, and some employees prefer twelve equal payslips. Where the CCNL or an individual agreement allows it, the 13th and 14th month can be paid pro rata in each monthly payslip. The annual amount stays the same.

At ItalyBlueCard we spread the 13th and 14th month pro rata over the monthly invoices by default, so the company employing you sees a flat cost and no December spike. Whether your payslip is also spread depends on the agreement; we explain the options before you sign.

When you leave  

If you leave mid-year, the accrued part of the 13th and 14th month is paid in your final payslip, together with unused leave and the TFR. Nothing is lost.

Taxes and contributions  

The extra installments are taxed and carry contributions like normal salary. The December payslip is often larger than expected, but with a progressive tax it is also taxed more heavily that month; the year-end adjustment evens it out.

A worked view without numbers  

Imagine two offers with the same RAL. One is under a CCNL with 13 installments, the other with 14. The annual gross pay is identical, the annual cost to the employer is identical. Only the timing differs: the 14-installment contract pays less each month and more in July and December.

Use the net pay calculator and switch between 12, 13 and 14 installments to see the difference for your RAL.

For the company employing you  

The extra months are part of the cost, not an extra. Our cost calculator shows the full monthly invoice, with the 13th and 14th month spread and TFR paid monthly into the employee’s chosen fund, so no year-end liabilities build up.

Checklist  

• Ask for the RAL and the number of installments
• Budget the move on the monthly installment
• Expect a partial December in year one
• Agree whether the extra months are spread
• Check the final payslip includes accruals if you leave

Odds and ends  

Is the 13th month guaranteed? Yes, under every CCNL. It is not discretionary.

Do part-time employees get it? Yes, pro rata to the hours worked.

Is the 13th month affected by sick leave? Rules depend on the CCNL; periods of paid sickness usually still accrue it. We apply the CCNL rule in payroll.

Is it paid during probation? Yes. It accrues from the first day of employment, and if probation ends without confirmation the accrued part is paid in the final payslip.

Can I ask for the 13th month in advance to pay my deposit? Advances are possible by agreement with the employer. Ask the company employing you; we process it in payroll as an advance on the accrued amount.

How does it show on the payslip? As a separate line, tredicesima mensilità, with its own tax and contribution calculation. If spread monthly, a smaller pro rata line appears every month instead.