Dual British/Irish Nationality

Daliah

As it happens, I have ongoing tax liabilities in two EU countries. I have been settling these with ad-hoc payments in Euro from my Starling Euro account. Never had any issue with the acceptance of those payments.

I also regularly make ad-hoc payments in Euroland from my Starling Euro account, to businesses and to individuals. I also receive Euro payments from businesses and individuals who only know my Starling IBAN. Never once had any issue.

Seems you have somehow drawn an unlucky number in Italy.

Marchitiello

Anyway, no one was questioning the ability to make or receive Euro payments per se, just setting up DD and paying property tax (Spain and Italy have peculiar systems indeed).  I had Starling since they were first launched, used extensively when it first allowed to open a Euro account and convert GBP to EU for free, but then they introduce fees and it was not convenient anymore.. then something went wrong with payments in Greece and from Spain and their terrible, foreign customer service, made me loose any fait in them. Happy to  have recently used the CASS and made some money from closing it. Fineco UK, my other EU based accounts and now Chase UK Forex free Debit Card spending with Cashback, have more then overcompensated for Starling failures. I would not recommend them to someone to have to plan their future abroad as an operational EURO account. For completeness Fineco UK is also not great in terms of CS and delays (UK faster payments, currency conversions, SEPA payments in and out) but the net conversion is better and the Euro IBAN is based in Italy so future proof. Also, as they have not withdrawn from the UK market like N26 did after Brexit, it means they will need to obtain a UK banking license in the near future. 

Daliah

It sounds you have been rather unlucky with Starling if you have even lost any fait in  them ;-)