Michel Barnier wants to increase notary fees to relieve the departments
Prime Minister Michel Barnier is proposing a 0.5 point increase in transfer taxes for consideration (notary fees), for a period of three years. This measure could represent a potential resource of one billion euros »justifies the head of government. The objective? Compensate for the massive drop in transfer taxes, the main source of financing for local authorities. François Sauvadet, president of the Departments of France, sounded the alarm at the microphone of BFM Immo : « We lose 35% in transfer taxes, which represents, depending on the department, between 20 and 30% of our revenue. You can imagine the impact, it’s considerable ».
The departments, which already apply the maximum rate of 4.5%, could now opt for an increase to 5%. Please note that the departments will have the freedom to increase or not the rate of their levies. But given their financial situation, many of them could give in to this temptation.
A measure costing several thousand euros for buyers
This government proposal does not fail to worry professionals in the real estate sector, as much as future buyers. As our colleagues remind us, Notary fees represent on average between 7 and 8% of the amount of a property. In other words, an increase of even just 0.5 points could translate into several thousand euros for buyers.
Loïc Cantin, president of the National Real Estate Federation (Fnaim), vilifies: “ This measure will be counterproductive at a time when the market was starting to regain momentum and needed a message of optimism ».
Insufficiently considered alternatives
Even the Minister of Housing, Valérie Letard, considers that this measure is in no way desirable. The latter defends the revival of housing construction, a revival which, according to her, would bring more to the economy than the increase in taxes on real estate transactions.
Although we can understand the government's objectives, it appears clear that it, once again, seeks to correct the financial mismanagement of the State, by making people who saved and were planning to invest pay. .
