Best deposit accounts by real net return 2026
Ranking updated August 2026 · 12 verified services
Ranked by real net return, after withholding tax and stamp duty — placement is never for sale
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 (2.59% net, from 3.5% gross).Cherry Bank — Cherry Vincolato and IBL Banca — Time Deposit 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: 3.50% is worth 2.59% net, the highest real return among the deposits verified, against 2.39% for banks offering the same gross rate but charging the duty.
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2
Cherry Bank — Cherry VincolatoB Italian Savings & Deposit Accounts
3.50% 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
IBL Banca — Time DepositB Italian Savings & Deposit Accounts
3.50% gross at 48 months, the best in its category on the verification date, with zero cost to open or close the term.
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4
Banca Ifis — Rendimax Conto DepositoB Italian Savings & Deposit Accounts
3.50% gross from 24 months upward, held even on long maturities: at 60 months the rate does not drop, while many rivals only reward 24-36 months.
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5
Guber Banca — Conto D102 SocialB Italian Savings & Deposit Accounts
3.35% gross held flat from 36 to 60 months, with every fee line at zero: opening, account fee, transactions, closing and statements.
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6
illimity — Conto DepositoB Italian Savings & Deposit Accounts
3.35% gross held flat from 24 to 60 months with no fee at all, provided the current account stays on the Classic package and at least €5,000 sits locked.
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7
Banca CF+ — Conto Deposito VincolatoB Italian Savings & Deposit Accounts
3.25% gross already at 12 months, among the market's best on short duration: no need to commit for five years to get almost the maximum.
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8
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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9
Solution Bank — Conto YesB Italian Savings & Deposit Accounts
No cap on total balance: the information sheet explicitly states «None», rare in a category where ceilings run from €250,000 to €3m.
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10
Banca AideXa — X Risparmio CedolaB Italian Savings & Deposit Accounts
Interest credited monthly: one of the few Italian deposit accounts built as periodic income rather than accumulation.
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11
Tinaba — Deposito Vincolato (Banca Profilo)B Italian Savings & Deposit Accounts
Early release is contractually available, partial or total: rare in this category, where an outright ban is the norm.
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12
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. Below 0.28% gross the stamp duty costs more than the interest the bank pays: the net return goes below zero. Italy’s best-known instant-access savings account, outside promotions, sits exactly there.