I know someone helped me before on taxe d'habitation questions but I can't track down the reply, so I thought this might be more effective for everyone. Does anyone know how empty a house has to be in order to avoid paying taxe d'habitation? For those who don't know, taxe d'habitation is not only payable if you're living there but depends on the house being 'habitable', ie furnished. I would just like clarification on 'furnished'. Do they mean no big furniture such as beds etc. Any clues would help before I speak to the authorities direct. Thank you
Thanks guys. Good to know and plenty to think about.
You have to make sure everything that isn't screwed down is removed by the 1st of January and then go to the mairie and ask them to send someone round to inspect the property. Normally it is the municipal police as Andrew says and they will come round sometime early Jan and then give you an attestation to send on to the tax office to ask for exoneration for the taxe d'habitation.
Even if it is a property that you rent out and tenants leave by end of Dec and new tenants come in after the 1st, you will be liable for taxe d'habitation unless you do this.
I've been exoneré a couple of times, each time I contacted my local tax office and explained, the first time the local policier came out to check that the house was empty, the second time they took my word for it as we had already moved out, the place was on the market, we were paying taxe d'habitation elsewhere and running a business there too. From memory, the house needs to be empty i.e. nothing in it, otherwise it's being used for storage...!