27/04/2026
Every year, in your tax return, you can choose where to allocate your “5 per thousand” (5xmille) of IRPEF — a portion of the tax the State already withholds and that, if you don’t direct it, simply remains in public funds. It is not an additional donation. It doesn’t cost you a cent. But for horses, it can make a huge difference.
IHP is an independent organization: it receives no public funding of any kind and does not obtain reimbursements from Public Prosecutors’ Offices for the care of seized animals housed at its Recovery Center in Montaione, in the province of Florence. The resources we use every day — to rescue horses, support legal proceedings, and advocate in institutional settings — come exclusively from those who choose to support us. The 5xmille is a way to do that. And, with the same effort on your part, it has the greatest impact for us.
The 5xmille you allocated to us in previous years made all of this possible. Here are the most significant results achieved over the past year.
For the first time after ten years of advocacy, our bill for the protection of equines and the ban on slaughter has reached a parliamentary committee in the Chamber of Deputies. Bill A.C. 48, introduced by Hon. Michela Vittoria Brambilla, was developed with the direct contribution of IHP and provides for the recognition of equines as companion animals, a ban on slaughter and meat trade, a halt to coercive uses, sanctions for pharmaceutical abuse, and retirement facilities. It is not yet law — we say this transparently. But it is the most important result achieved in a decade and proof that sustained pressure produces results.
In Perugia, one of the most serious proceedings of recent years is underway: horses “deleted” from official records and allegedly diverted into a clandestine slaughter circuit. IHP has been admitted as a civil party in the trial before the panel court. We have followed the case from the beginning, helped reconstruct the dynamics, and continue to do so in court to protect equines and the public interest in legality.
Illegal horse races are not a folkloric phenomenon: they are a structured criminal circuit, often linked to organized crime, that uses and discards horses as disposable tools. IHP has been monitoring, documenting, and reporting this phenomenon for years. In 2024 we took in Sacher and Muffin, two ponies seized in Catania where they were destined for illegal slaughter. Today they live free in Cavriglia, in the province of Arezzo. In 2025 we took in Evenafterall, a thoroughbred who moved from the official racing circuit to illegal races: today he lives safely thanks to IHP’s intervention. We rescued Livingstone and Famosa dei Colli, former trotters who ended up in the abyss of illegal racing: they too are now safe. We continue to monitor every day and report whenever possible.
Lilli is a small pony who suffered a serious accident with irreversible damage to a hind limb. IHP fully covered the costs of partial amputation and the application of a prosthesis, thanks to its donors. Lilli made it: today she walks with her prosthesis and lives her retirement peacefully. A story that shows what it truly means to care.
With the entry into force of Law 82/2025 and the Supreme Court ruling no. 1918/2026, ethological abuse — that is, suffering inflicted on animals through living conditions incompatible with their natural needs, even without direct physical violence — is now explicitly a crime. IHP has worked for years to have this form of abuse recognized, for example in horses confined in stalls or forced into unnatural behaviors. Now the law exists: our task is to ensure it is enforced.
IHP receives no public funding. It does not obtain reimbursements from the State for the care of seized animals it hosts. Every euro we use to fund veterinary care, legal actions, institutional campaigns, and the maintenance of the Recovery Center comes from those who choose to support us.
The 5xmille arrives about one year after you sign — that’s how the tax system works. But when it does, for us it means continuity: the ability to plan interventions, support long legal proceedings, and not stop in the face of emergencies. Concretely, it’s the difference between an intervention being possible or postponed.
Do I have to pay anything extra? No. The 5xmille is a portion of the IRPEF the State already withholds. By signing, you choose where to allocate it. If you don’t sign, the money remains with the State.
How do I sign? In the 730 form, the CU (Certificazione Unica), or the Redditi PF form: look for the box “Support for Third Sector organizations and social cooperatives,” sign in the designated space, and write the tax code 05996320486.
What if I use a tax assistance center (CAF) or an accountant? Simply tell them you want to allocate your 5xmille to IHP – Italian Horse Protection, tax code 05996320486, Third Sector box. They will take care of everything.
What if I file online (pre-filled return)? Log into the Italian Revenue Agency portal, section “730 pre-filled.” You will find the 5xmille field: enter your signature and the tax code 05996320486 in the Third Sector box.
When do the funds arrive? The tax mechanism involves about a one-year delay between signing and allocation. But the impact is real: it allows us to plan and sustain medium-term activities.
Can I sign if I am exempt from IRPEF? No. The 5xmille is a portion of IRPEF: if no IRPEF is paid (for example, because income is below the exemption threshold), it cannot be allocated.
Can I do both: 5xmille and a direct donation? Yes, absolutely. They are separate and cumulative tools. The 5xmille does not exclude donations, distance adoptions, or any other type of support.
Will I receive a receipt or confirmation? No. The Revenue Agency only publishes the total number of preferences and the total amount allocated. It is not possible to know who donated.
If you find what we do valuable, you already have a tool in your hands: your tax return. Sign it for us. And if you want to do more:
Sign your 5xmille to IHP
Box: Third Sector Tax code: 05996320486
It costs you nothing. For them, it changes everything.