The 2027 Budget voucher replaces parental leave for three months: requirements, exclusions and when it is convenient
Up to 500 euros per month to pay for nursery or babysitter, for mothers and fathers with a VAT number or who work on their own. It is the new bonus of the 2027 budget for self-employed parents, approved by the Council of Ministers on 28 October and now being examined by Parliament. The measure is experimental and is valid for the three-year period 2027-2029. However, there is one condition: in the same period you have to choose, because the voucher excludes parental leave paid by INPS.
How the 500 euro voucher for nursery and babysitting works
The contribution reaches up to 500 euros per month for a maximum of three months, therefore 1,500 euros in total. It covers the fee for the nursery or spring section, but also the babysitter’s fee. An application is made when the compulsory maternity or paternity leave ends and the reimbursement concerns the expenses of the following 11 months. If mum and dad are both independent, only one of them receives it. According to initial reconstructions, the contribution does not increase the ISEE used to calculate the single allowance.
Who is entitled to the bonus and who is left out
The bonus is designed for self-employed workers registered with INPS: traders, artisans, direct farmers and registered with Separate Management. According to initial information, professionals with a private fund, such as lawyers or accountants, are excluded. For co.co.co., research fellows and doctoral students, the game is played in the implementing decrees. Another limit is the funds: 15 million a year, which would be enough for around ten thousand beneficiaries.
Voucher or parental leave: which is better?
Parental leave for the self-employed is paid at 30%. For artisans, traders and direct farmers, 30% is calculated on a daily salary established by law, so the amount does not depend on how much you actually earn. For Separate Management, the following is calculated on the average of the income of the previous two years: those who earn less may find the voucher more advantageous, those with high incomes can earn more with leave. However, the voucher has the advantage that it allows you to continue working, without losing customers and orders.
Can both vouchers and parental leave be requested?
In the same period you have to choose: one support excludes the other. In theory, a parent could use one month of leave and the next two months of vouchers, because the three-month cap is cumulative. But INPS and the implementing decrees will have to clarify this.
Parental leave 2027 for employees: what changes
For those who conclude compulsory maternity or paternity leave from 2027, the number of months paid increases to 80%: four for the first child, five for the second and six for the third. The bonus of 100 euros per month for those who have at least two children and an income of less than 40 thousand euros remains valid for all working mothers, even with a VAT number.
