The fight against tax fraud has become a major preoccupation for tax authorities in France. In response to this problem, the government has introduced a new tool: the tax police. This measure is an important step in the crackdown on tax crime, which is becoming increasingly severe. In this article, we’ll look at the introduction of the tax police in France and its impact on tax policy, as well as the importance of calling on the services of a tax lawyer specializing in criminal tax matters.
This control can generally lead to a rectification of the prices or valuations used in documents subject to the registration formality (these are numerous and include transactions involving movable and immovable property (gifts, transfers, inheritance in particular, but also IFI).
Debts on taxable (real estate) assets are deductible from the value of these assets for IFI purposes. However, this deductibility is excluded by law if the debts are not related to taxable real estate assets. This is the case, for example, for debts incurred to maintain the family’s lifestyle, to acquire non-taxable assets (such as a business) or exempt assets (such as premises used by a taxpayer for professional purposes).
Legal entities owning real estate in France are liable for a 3% tax on the value of this real estate. This 3% tax on the market value of real estate was introduced by the 1983 Finance Act, with the aim of ensuring the visibility of chains of real estate ownership by French and foreign entities; making it possible to obtain the identity of associates and thus verify the correct application of the wealth tax (ISF), now replaced by the real estate wealth tax (IFI).