International inheritances amount to some €100 billion per year, but the rules governing cross-border inheritance are complex. Inheritance laws are different in each European Union (EU) country. This web page set up by the notaries of Europe, explains the current rules in each EU state.

We reported recently on the government’s flagship piece of legislation on housing and property rentals: the loi ALUR/Duflot. The French Parliament had passed the law but right-wing senators and members of Parliament referred it to the Constitutional Council on the grounds that parts of it might be anti-constitutional.

France may have led the way in imposing capital gains tax (CGT) on sales of second homes but the UK is now following suit.

Real estate transactions in France are subject to stamp duty, which the buyer pays. The rate is currently 5.09% of the price of the property and breaks down into: A departmental (county) tax of 3.80%. Paris is classified as a county. A communal (municipal) tax of 1.20%. Each arrondissement (district) of Paris counts as a […]

Financial regulators and rating agencies have named France the strongest real estate market in Europe.  According to reports by the Joint Forum and Standard & Poor’s, that strength is primarily due to two French banking trends in particular: a large number of secured loans, and strict lending criteria.

President Hollande has made good on his promise to pull back on the dramatic increases in taxes imposed on property sales in France over the last two years.  In releasing the details of the new plan, Budget Minister Bernard Cazeneuve cited the “perverse effects of the current system,” specifically the significant decrease in the volume […]

One hot topic following the election of President François Hollande is his plan to impose rent controls on French apartments.  

A new law enacted July 2011 significantly alters existing tax and trust rules in France. The new law affects the wealth tax, gifts and inheritances and trusts beginning in 2012, and in some cases is applied retroactively. Tax will now be imposed on all wealth in France over

In France, no capital gains tax is paid on the sale of a primary residence. However for second homeowners big changes are looming.