12. House Buying Fees and Taxes in France

1. 12.1. Notaire Fees
   12.2. House Buying Taxes
   12.3. Calculating Charges
   12.4. Reducing Charges

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12.3. How to Reduce Charges for Buying Property in France

There are a three methods that can be used to keep down your transaction costs.

12.3.1. Sharing Charges

By convention, the transaction charges are payable by the buyer but there is no reason why, as part of the negotiations, you cannot agree that they should be shared, or even paid by the seller! It all depends on the strength of your negotiating position.

12.3.2. Estate Agents Commission

It is not unusual for the sale price of the property to include the commission of the estate agent, which is then payable by the purchaser.

This is a method some estate agents use to persuade sellers that they are not really paying the often elevated estate agents fee!

If the buyer is to be responsible for the commission, then the sale particulars must clearly state that this is the case.

Estate agents commission can lift substantially the total fees that are payable so ask questions about them at the outset.

12.3.3. Furniture

If you are buying furniture or other effects with the property make sure these items are separated out from the sale price of the property as no land charge taxes are payable on them.

Any furniture or effects you are buying will need to be listed on the sale agreement and a value attributed to each item.

The savings that arise are unlikely to be sustantial, but will be improved if you can persuade the notaire not to charge any of their own fees on the sale of the furniture!

Neither should you seek to take it too far; if the tax office consider the value of the furniture to be excessive, they may ask a few questions.

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