Best deposit accounts by real net return 2026
Ranking updated November 2026 · 16 verified services
Ranked by real net return, after withholding tax and stamp duty
Deposit accounts ranked by what you actually collect, not by the headline rate. Interest is taxed at 26%, and the balance carries a 0.2% annual stamp duty: who absorbs it changes the ranking. The duty is a flat 0.2 points, while a gap in gross rates weighs only 0.74 times itself after tax — so below 0.27 points of difference the bank that pays the duty always wins, even if it advertises less. Every rate is read from the bank’s own information sheet, with the edition date shown on the card.
The top pick is Tyche Bank — ContoTe (2.92% net, from 3.95% gross). Cherry Bank — Cherry Vincolato and Guber Banca — Conto D102 Social follow. Verified data, with a source for every entry.
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1
Tyche Bank — ContoTeB Italian Savings & Deposit Accounts
Stamp duty is paid by the Bank: 3.95% gross at 60 months is worth 2.923% net, against the 2.723% the same gross rate would give with the duty charged to the customer.
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2
Cherry Bank — Cherry VincolatoB Italian Savings & Deposit Accounts
4.00% gross at 48 and 60 months, with the rate fixed for the whole term and a quarterly coupon paid into the current account.
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3
Guber Banca — Conto D102 SocialB Italian Savings & Deposit Accounts
4.00% gross (2.76% net) from 12 months up to 24, with every fee line at zero: opening, account fee, transactions, closing and statements.
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4
illimity — Conto DepositoB Italian Savings & Deposit Accounts
4.00% gross (2.76% net) at 12 months with no fee at all, provided the current account stays on the Classic package and at least €5,000 sits locked; on long terms, 3.60% at 48 and 60 months.
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5
Banca Ifis — Rendimax Conto DepositoB Italian Savings & Deposit Accounts
4.00% gross (2.76% net) as early as 12 months: the top rate on the price list sits on a short term, and 48 and 60 months still pay 3.75%.
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6
Extrabanca — ExtraclickC Italian Savings & Deposit Accounts
Stamp duty on locked funds is paid by the bank: 0.2 points of extra net return every year, at any amount locked.
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7
Banca AideXa — X Risparmio CedolaB Italian Savings & Deposit Accounts
Interest credited monthly: it is built as periodic income rather than accumulation.
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8
CA Auto Bank — Conto Deposito TempoC Italian Savings & Deposit Accounts
The rate rises sharply when the reference account is the bank's own Conto Remunerato: 3.80% gross at 36 months instead of 0.60%. According to its information sheet that account has no fee.
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9
IBL Banca — Time DepositB Italian Savings & Deposit Accounts
3.75% gross at 48 months, with zero cost to open or close the term.
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10
Solution Bank — Conto YesB Italian Savings & Deposit Accounts
No cap on total balance: the information sheet explicitly states «None».
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11
Banca CF+ — Conto Deposito VincolatoB Italian Savings & Deposit Accounts
3.50% gross already at 12 months, the same rate as 60 months: no need to commit for five years to get the maximum.
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12
Banca CF+ — Conto Deposito Young (under 35)C Italian Savings & Deposit Accounts
3.50% gross from 12 months right up to 60, with a quarterly or annual coupon: no need to lock up for long to get the top rate on the ladder.
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13
Deutsche Bank — db Time DepositC Italian Savings & Deposit Accounts
An international-scale issuer: the Italian subsidiary of Deutsche Bank AG, with the balance-sheet strength that implies.
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14
Banca Sistema — SI conto! DEPOSITOA Italian Savings & Deposit Accounts
Stamp duty is paid by the Bank: 0.2 points a year that stay with the customer, and the reason 3.00% here beats a rival's 3.20% that charges the duty.
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15
Tinaba — Deposito Vincolato (Banca Profilo)B Italian Savings & Deposit Accounts
Early release is contractually available, partial or total, at no charge.
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16
ING — Conto ArancioB Italian Savings & Deposit Accounts
No lock-up and no transaction costs: opening, closing, deposits and withdrawals are all free, and the money stays available at all times.
Frequently asked questions
Why do you rank by net rate rather than gross rate?
Because ranking by gross rate is wrong by construction. The gross rate loses 26% withholding tax and then 0.2% stamp duty — which is a percentage of the balance, not of the interest, so it is subtracted in flat points. The upshot: a bank at 3.00% that pays the duty returns 2.22% net, while one at 3.20% that charges it stops at 2.168%. The lower number wins, and it happens whenever the gross gap is under 0.27 points.
Can a deposit account return less than zero?
Yes, and it is not an edge case. When the customer pays the stamp duty, up to 0.27% gross the duty (0.2% of the balance) costs more than the interest left after the 26% withholding tax: the net return goes below zero. Italy’s best-known instant-access savings account, outside promotions, sits exactly there.