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appointed fiscal representative based in Paris (compulsory for non-EU property owners), we were helped tremendously by Sue Busby of France Legal, who is based in Suffolk near where we had moved. Her fees were similar to a UK solicitor’s in a property sale and were worthwhile as she kept us on the straight and narrow throughout the formidable selling process.
Clockwise: The Marfleet's beloved
French home; it has the most wonderful outlook; French
windows lead outside from the living room onto the patio
calculated that we had ‘owned’ the property for over 22 years – we’d signed the contrat de reservation in October 1999 for the off-plan building, and paid the agreed deposit, even though we didn’t pay the final instalment until receiving the keys on 1 April 2001. Included in their calculations
was a 100% taux de la réduction against the sale price versus the purchase price (corrected to euros from the francs we had paid before the euro became the EU currency). Deductions were made
from the agreed sale price for the notaire and fiscal representative’s fees (€1,730), agency commission (€17,000) and the diagnostic charges for electricity checks, termites etc (€182) and the utility company’s water/waste survey charge €181.50). The net figure was reduced to €366,088. All other ‘offset’ charges, including the 15% figure for costs against construction, reconstruction, improvements and so on from our initial purchase price netted down to €177,010 leaving €189,078 as the actual ‘capital gain’. However, this was nullified due to our 22-plus years of ownership. However, there remained a charge of €23,416 for plus
valeur against social charges (calculated using three different percentages off the net figure €366,088!). This was a ‘penalty’ as we could never enjoy any benefits of their welfare state because we are UK residents and no longer members of the EU. This bitter pill was sweetened somewhat when M. Macron had a change of heart and we received back €13,000 two years after the sale, but he still has €10,000 of ‘our’ money. For UK tax purposes, we also
had to declare capital gains outside the UK in our self- assessment. We sent our tax office copies of all the French documents and translated their charges to avoid dual taxation under the double-tax treaty agreed between our
governments. It took them an age to calculate what we owed. Eventually, we paid the £10,500 they demanded. In summary, this is what we
received from the sale: Sale price: €385,000 Deductions: €17,000 (agency commission), €1,730 (notaires’ fees, including fiscal representative fee), €182 (diagnostics fee), €181.50 (Veloia water/waste survey), €870 (fee from the copropriété syndic for ‘informing’ the notaire we had paid our service charges up to date!), €23,416 (‘net’ plus value – social charges) * Total deductions: €43,379.50 Net received: €341,602.50 * Later credit of €13,000 repaid Throughout our negotiations with the notaire, agency and
SELLING THE DREAM When asked by friends and family how we felt about selling ‘our dream’, we said that we were naturally very sad at closing that door after so many years. However, we would not have missed the experience for all the world. Travelling to and fro,
mainly by car, we had great fun exploring L’Hexagone, driving south via the east across to Mulhouse (which has some great museums) and following the Route Napoléon beside the Alps. We also went via Normandy, Brittany and Charente-Maritime to the west, and from Santander in Spain to Biarritz and across to Carcassonne and the Camargue. All ending up at Ste-Maxime. We also took occasional trips via Eurostar and flights to Nice during the festive season, all adding to our ‘French experience’ for almost 24 years. We’ll never forget the friends
we’ve made along the way, and during our last visit in September 2023, we caught up with many of them. However, after such a period, things do change. Ste-Maxime’s maire has spent wisely on improving the town during his tenure, as well as dramatically reducing the ‘borrowings’ inherited from his predecessor! If ever anybody asks us about
New owners Jean-Claude and Arlette, with Janine (leſt), on a night out
‘investing’ in France, there are so many places we could recommend, but our hearts remain in Le Var for so many reasons – the best rosé (in our opinion) being just one of them. There are also, many delightful fortified hilltop villages, interesting towns and cities, and a history going back to Phoenician, Greek and Roman occupations. ‘La belle vie’ – sans aucun doute! ■
FRENCH PROPERTY NEWS: March/April 2024 75
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