Under Italian law, legacies to non-profit organisations pursuing public and social goals are exempt from tax. However, similar legacies to non-profit bodies established elsewhere in the EU/EEA are only granted an exemption if there is reciprocity from that Member State (i.e. that the country in question gives an exemption to Italian non-profit organisations). If there is not this reciprocity, then the legacy is taxed at 8% of its value. As a result, the taxation of bequests to foreign non-profit entities is frequently higher than bequests to their Italian counterparts. In addition, Italian legislation excludes Italian bonds and public securities from the inheritance estate, while bonds and public securities issued by other EU and EEA States are not allowed this exclusion.