Hi, appreciate any help. My French mother died 6 months ago, her 3 children are British ,non French speaking/writing and I am trying to finalise her affairs from google translate via uk. My mother lived in an Ephad home with no assets just her bank account. Everything is finalised apart from her 2023 tax return (I’ve paid her 2022 tax bill) and declaration of hereditary that is being requested by her bank to release her assets to her 3 uk children. Was requested by bank to submit her declaration to Rennes office which I did in January but they are advising me to resubmit after tax has been paid. I didn’t appoint a notaire because there was so little in her account. I just want to do right so I can finalise everything correctly and breathe. Advice really appreciated , thank you
I thought a notaire was obligatory in all cases? Interesting to discover not.
Apparently not, no property, investments etc , and very little in bank , Not had any problems at all as I’ve been able to produce whatever had been asked for but had to explain our circumstance being british and dealing with her estate from uk which has been outside their usual way of doing things so very tho g apart from this last bit I’ve managed to source myself - with the help of google translate of course!
You need to “talk” to her local tax office. Perhaps via email if french on the phone is not your forté!
One other suggestion is that sometimes funeral directors can be very helpful. They have a much bigger admin role here so will have good local contacts and may be prepared to make a phone call for you. If not probably worth a small sum on a translator. - prob around €35/hour,
Thank you so much for your replied, just to update you, just received the declaration via email so another hurdle jumped. Now just have to sort out 2023 tax !
For general information, I read somewhere (can’t remember where) that even though there is no tax to pay in France on a purely UK inheritance, one must inform the impots authority and fill in relevant forms. My father in-law died last year so I told my wife she had to do this. After phone calls, emails and abortive visits, she finally received an email saying she does not have to do anything except make sure all is correct in the UK to satisfy HMRC. ( edit : or rather, as I now realise, the French authorities at some future date. )
I’m being blamed for the waste of time, effort and fuel,
Strange. I’m pretty sure I also heard somewhere that even a 100% UK inheritance had to be reported in a special form to the Fisc. If the heir is resident in France.
@survive15 , a déclaration de succession is required if you are resident in France and receive a UK inheritance.
Forms 2705 SD et 2705-S-SD need to be completed and posted to the
Impôts des Non-Résidents
10, rue du Centre - TSA 50014
93465 NOISY LE GRAND CEDEX
I have posted this on an earlier SF thread. I will try to find the link.
The info I posted starts at post no. 6
It’s certainly a confusing issue. The office we visited in Niort had no interest in the forms that were produced. If they won’t accept them , we can’t force them to.
My wife isn’t worried about it , she has this message from Niort tax office for future reference.
“Je vous confirme que si la succession de votre père, résident du Royaume-Uni ne comporte aucun bien situé en France, il n’y a pas d’utilité à établir une déclaration de succession en France. Par contre il vous est conseillé de conserver les documents concernant la succession au Royaume Uni et vous permettant le cas échéant de justifier de l’origine des fonds.”
It is simple, are her assets (ie bank account balance) worth the hassle? If not just walk, otherwise see a notaire.