New housing is in the midst of a crisis. To get him out of hell, ideas are multiplying. Tuesday, the Prime Minister spoke of the extension of the zero-rate loan on “the whole territory» during his general policy speech. It is now the turn of parliamentarians to take up the subject, a little over two weeks before the start of debates in the National Assembly. And the first avenues are emerging, in particular one which risks pleasing the right since it concerns inheritance rights, the surprise guest of the 2022 presidential election.
This would involve eliminating inheritance taxes for households who buy new housing – apartment or house. The idea, launched by the Balladur government in the years 93 and 94, is making its way into the heads of the deputies and the minister who, without officially saying that she was in favor of it, cited this proposal as a solutions to revive new housing. “At this stage, there is no clear path. We are waiting for the co-construction work with Parliament to see which solution will achieve consensus», declared Valérie Létard, on RMC, reacting to information from BFM Business (see below, from 0’50”).
According to our information, the minister would be in favor, Gabriel Attal, leader of the Macronists in the National Assembly, also. Same story in the right-wing camp which has been calling for a reduction in inheritance or gift taxes for several years. LR deputies from the center-right and RN would be ready to support this exemption provided that it targets exclusively donations to allow this measure to be “more effective, because the impact for new housing and the interest for buyers would be more immediates” as an exemption from inheritance tax.
“Exceptional and temporary”
On the other hand, the shortfall for the state coffers would also be more immediate in the case of an exemption from donations. Hence the importance of affecting as many households as possible. And all the more so since it would be a measure “exceptional and temporary to boost new housing from 2025”. «For more than a year and a half, we have been seeking the implementation of an exemption from inheritance or gift taxes. If parliamentarians instead consider exclusively exempting donations from parents but also grandparents to help young people find housing more quickly, we can only be in favor of it.», Explains Didier Bellier-Ganière, general delegate of the Federation of Real Estate Developers.
What is it concretely? Any person purchasing a new home, within 18 months from the date of entry into force of the measure, would be exempt from donation tax, up to a maximum of 150,000 euros (compared to 100,000 euros currently for donations to children) per donee and per donor. Because the exemptions can relate to several donations (from parents to children or grandparents to grandchildren for example). The same goes for grandparents. Under three conditions: the accommodation concerned must be the principal residence of the donor, must be occupied by its owner, his beneficiaries (spouse or children) or by a tenant; finally, resource or rent ceilings, in the case of rental, which will be equivalent to those for the Pinel system, shut down on January 1, 2025, must be respected.
