TIM collects more than 1 billion euros for the 1998 fee issue

TIM has received a refund for the 1998 fee, totaling just over 1 billion euros. This marks the final act of what was established by the Supreme Court ruling last December. In the meantime, it is worth noting that TIM has restructured many customers in the past year. Here are all the details regarding this new issue.

A matter lasting years

This ruling has resolved a dispute with the Italian State that had been ongoing for over 20 years. The overall amount collected includes the original fee (amounting to over 500 million euros) plus an adjustment related to interest.

This situation dates back to the liberalization of the telecommunications market and the request made by the then Telecom Italia for the payment of the concession fee for 1998. This request triggered a judicial process, as at the same time a mandatory contribution was initiated, calculated on revenue.

The case moved through the Tar, the Council of State, and the European Court of Justice, which sided with TIM in 2008. After a series of judicial levels, in 2024 the Court of Appeal gave its approval, followed by the Supreme Court ruling in favor of TIM, ensuring the record refund obtained in these hours.

From a financial perspective, this collection results in a positive net effect on the financial position for the current fiscal year. This effect was already included in the company’s financial guidance for 2026. TIM is currently engaged in a new partnership with Poste, which has recently launched a public takeover bid.