Italy's 2027 budget bill would pay working mothers of two or more children €100 a month from 2027, up from €60 this year, and self-employed mothers are explicitly included. The text, approved by the Council of Ministers on 28 October and published on 30 and 31 October, also creates a childcare voucher of up to €500 a month for self-employed parents after maternity or paternity leave. Parliament still has to pass the bill by 31 December, so every amount below is proposed, not law.
Cover photo: charlesdeluvio on Unsplash. A toddler plays while a parent works at a desk at home.
What happened
On Wednesday, 28 October, Giorgia Meloni's government approved the 2027 budget bill. Its press release says the bill "potenziato e reso strutturale" (strengthens and makes permanent) the so-called bonus mamme for mothers with at least two children and earned income of no more than €40,000 a year, "confirming" that self-employed and fixed-term workers stay eligible (our translation). It also announces a voucher "fino a 500 euro mensili" (up to €500 a month) for up to three months, for babysitting and early-childhood education, "to take account of the needs of self-employed workers".
The full bill text, stamped by the State Accounting Office and published on 30 and 31 October, adds the detail. Italian press reported on 30 October that President Sergio Mattarella had authorised its presentation and that it was sent to the Chamber of Deputies.
The €100 bonus: who qualifies
Article 57 of the bill makes the working mothers' bonus permanent "a decorrere dall'anno 2027" (from 2027). It covers employed mothers, except domestic workers, and self-employed mothers enrolled in a compulsory self-employed pension scheme, including:
- artisans and traders in the INPS self-employed schemes;
- professionals in their own pension funds, such as the funds for lawyers, architects or accountants;
- freelancers in the INPS Gestione separata.
The conditions in the text:
- Children: two or more. With two children, the bonus runs until the month the second child turns 10; with three or more, until the youngest turns 18.
- Income: earned income (from work, employed or self-employed) of no more than €40,000 a year.
- Amount: €100 for each month, or part of a month, in which the mother works or runs her business, free of income tax and social contributions.
- Payment: by INPS, on application, every three months. It does not count towards the ISEE, the household means test used for other Italian benefits.
The same article deletes paragraphs 219 and 220 of the 2025 budget law. According to INPS circular no. 106 of 16 October 2026, those paragraphs set up a partial contribution exemption for working mothers that had been postponed to 2027. In our reading, the €100 cash bonus replaces that planned contribution cut.
This year's bonus: €60 a month, paid in December
For 2026, the bonus is €60 a month, up to €720 for the year, up from €40 a month in 2025, according to INPS circular no. 106. The 2026 months are paid in one lump sum in December 2026. Mothers apply online at INPS with SPID, CIE or CNS digital identity, through the INPS contact centre, or through a patronato. The circular said INPS would announce the date the application service opens in a later message.
A €500 childcare voucher for self-employed parents
Article 60 is aimed only at the self-employed: parents enrolled in the INPS self-employed schemes and in the Gestione separata. After maternity or paternity leave, they can ask for a contribution of up to €500 a month, for up to three months within the following eleven months, instead of taking parental leave.
- The money must go on babysitting or early-childhood education services (nursery and similar).
- If both parents are self-employed, only one of them gets it.
- The budget is capped at €15 million a year for 2027, 2028 and 2029, so it may run out (the text sets a spending limit, not a right for everyone).
- Access rules and how to apply will be set by a decree within 60 days of the law coming into force.
Note that the article names the INPS schemes and the Gestione separata, but not the professionals' own pension funds, unlike the €100 bonus. Whether lawyers, architects and other professionals in their own funds can claim the voucher will depend on the decree (our reading).
For women who employ staff, article 43 raises the extra tax deduction on the cost of new hires to 80% when the new employee is a working mother, and 40% for hires under 36, for the 2027 tax year.
What is decided, and what is not
Our sister site explains the flat-tax ceiling change for freelancers in detail.
Spain: Murcia opens loans for self-employed women back from maternity
Since Sunday, 1 November, self-employed women in the Spanish region of Murcia who became mothers in the two years before applying can ask for loans of €15,000 to €25,000 under the regional credit institute's new "Reactiva Mujer" line, according to Murcia Plaza, which reported the regional government's presentation on 20 October.
- The line has €2 million until 2029.
- The loans carry a 100% guarantee from the regional guarantee company Aválam, so no personal guarantees are needed.
- There is no opening fee, a reduced study fee, and the first year's interest is covered.
- The money can pay for investment or day-to-day business costs.
These are loans that must be repaid, not grants. "Esto no es una subvención a fondo perdido, sino que es un acceso mediante préstamo" (this is not a grant but access through a loan), Noemí Muñoz, president of the Murcia women business owners' association OMEP, told COPE. COPE described the line as being for self-employed women with children under two, with loans of €15,000 and €20,000; other reports say up to €25,000. We found no official call text (bases) online on 2 November, so check the conditions with the institute (Icref) before you apply.
The region joins Madrid, which plans €1,250 a month to pay a stand-in for self-employed mothers; see our report on the Madrid aid. Spain had 1,299,677 self-employed women in September 2026, 37.1% of all self-employed workers, up 2.3% in a year, according to the Ministry of Labour.
How Italy compares
Maternity benefit for a self-employed mother in eight European countries:
Rates checked on 28 October 2026 with INPS (Italy), Seguridad Social (Spain), Ameli (France), Citizens Information (Ireland), UWV (Netherlands), INASTI (Belgium), GOV.UK and Familienportal (Germany). Germany's Bundestag debated maternity pay for self-employed women in October; the UK's Budget 2026 left Maternity Allowance unchanged.
What this means for you
- If you are self-employed in Italy with two or more children, check that your 2026 earned income stays at or under €40,000, and apply for the 2026 bonus when INPS opens the service; the 2026 months are paid in December.
- If you are expecting a baby in 2027, watch for the decree on the €500 voucher. The budget is capped, so applying early may matter, and you will have to choose between the voucher and parental leave.
- If you employ people in Italy, the 80% extra deduction for hiring a working mother applies to the 2027 tax year; our guide to first employee hiring mistakes covers the basics.
- If you are a self-employed mother in Murcia, ask Icref for the official conditions of the Reactiva Mujer loans before you apply, and compare them with grants in our list of grants and funding for female entrepreneurs.
- Wherever you work, plan the months around a birth: our guides to work-life balance for founders with dependents and insurance for female entrepreneurs cover cover, cash flow and childcare.
FAQ
How much is Italy's working mothers' bonus in 2027?
The 2027 budget bill sets it at €100 a month, tax-free, for mothers with two or more children and earned income of up to €40,000 a year. It is a proposal until Parliament passes the budget, which must happen by 31 December 2026.
Can self-employed mothers in Italy get the bonus?
Yes. The bill names self-employed mothers in the compulsory self-employed pension schemes, the professionals' own pension funds and the INPS Gestione separata.
How much is the bonus in 2026, and when is it paid?
€60 a month, up to €720 for the year. INPS pays the 2026 months in one lump sum in December 2026, on application.
What is the €500 voucher for self-employed parents?
A contribution of up to €500 a month for up to three months after maternity or paternity leave, for babysitting or early-childhood services, taken instead of parental leave. The bill caps spending at €15 million a year for 2027 to 2029, and a decree will set the rules.
Is the Murcia Reactiva Mujer line a grant?
No. It is a loan of €15,000 to €25,000 that must be repaid, with a 100% Aválam guarantee, no opening fee and the first year's interest covered, for self-employed women who became mothers in the last two years.
Does Germany have maternity pay for self-employed women?
Not as a statutory right. The Bundestag debated opposition proposals on 15 October 2026, and there is no law yet.
About the Author
Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur. Throughout her startup experience she has applied for multiple startup grants at the EU level, in the Netherlands and Malta, and her startups received quite a few of those. She’s been living, studying and working in many countries around the globe and her extensive multicultural experience has influenced her immensely.
