Expert Advice - Legalities & Taxes
French Tax Declaration For Non-Residents
If you own property here in France and derive rental income through it, it’s necessary to file a Tax Declaration for a non-resident. The law says to file, and it is especially necessary if the funds are deposited in his French bank account. If the property is financed, there may be no tax to pay.…
The Viager System
The viager system of French house purchase accounts for around 10 per cent of all private property sales in France. Under this system, you, the buyer, contract to purchase the property from the vendor in one of three ways, but do not usually take possession until the vendor’s death. It might seem astounding but the system helps…
Droit de Préemption
When a seller puts their property on the market, certain authorities have the right to purchase the property in priority. This is called the “Droit de Droit de pre emption“. There are two rights of Droit de pre emption – the right quoted by the Law of 31st December 1975 and the right granted by…
Insurance in France
Make sure that you are properly insured while living in France, where personal insurance is a legal requirement for a number of cases. When looking at insurance in France, the market offers a wide choice of companies and policies to choose from. All the major companies offering insurance, called assurance, have high street offices and are…
Buying A House As A Group – SCI
French homes may be purchased on an individual or on a collective basis. However, if you intend to buy a home collectively, all buyers will be asked to jointly apply for the mortgage. For purchases made by two people or more, it may be advantageous to buy the home through a Civil Real Estate Company…
French Inheritance Laws
When you purchase a property in France, French inheritance laws apply to that property. These laws, which are very different from the Separate Estates laws in other countries, can have an impact on the use of the property in the event of a spouse-owner’s death. Unless specified beforehand, a surviving spouse/partner residing in France will…
Measuring The Size Of Your Apartment (Legally) – The Loi Carrez
The Loi Carrez (named, not for the unit of measurement, but for the minister of housing who introduced the law) is a protective measure for the buyer in France. The sale agreement relating to the purchase of a property must state the surface area of the property, in square meters. In 1996, a law was…
Meet the Notaire
A Notaire is the most qualified lawyer of the French legal system, with seven years of study to get his or her degree. They act as both a Public Officer (collecting taxes for the government) and a legal counselor in specific areas of the law, for example real estate, family and corporate law. It takes about two…
Taxes in France
If you own property in France, you will be liable to pay income tax on the income derived from your French property. In most cases, this income is made up of the rent you receive if you let the property. French tax laws enable owners of rental property to reduce the amount of taxable rental…
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