How to bequeath your heritage without paying too much tax? This is a question that many French retirees ask about inheritance. For those who want to spoil their grandchildren in particular, here are 7 tips to avoid pleasing the taxman at the same time…
On special occasions (birthdays, weddings, etc.), grandparents can give their grandchildren nice gifts without even declaring them, says Version Femina. We then speak of “presents of use”. Car, jewel, sum of money: these gifts come out of the estate and are also not taxable under gift tax. “Their amount must be proportionate to your assets”, specifies all the same to the magazine Barbara Thomas-David, notary in Paris.
Grandparents can give up to €31,865 every 15 years to their grandchildren without tax. The donor must be under the age of 80 and the donee must be of legal age. This donation must be declared to the tax authorities within one month.
You can offer cash to your grandchildren during your lifetime, but also movable or immovable property in the form of a classic donation. Here too, a ceiling of €31,865 every 15 years applies to avoid tax.
The two donation schemes can be combined. Thus, for example, “a granddaughter may receive from her grandfather under 80 a total of €63,730 in exemption from duties” every 15 years, can we read on the site impots.gouv.fr .
The transgenerational donation-sharing makes it possible to transmit property to other descendants than one’s children. Attention, the latter can oppose it. It is therefore necessary to obtain their agreement before starting the process with a so-called act of “advance waiver of the action for reduction”. This device requires that there are at least two beneficiaries and guarantees an exemption up to €31,865.
This device consists in separating the usufruct of a property (right to live in it and to rent it) from the bare ownership (ownership of the property). For example, you can transfer the usufruct of a house to your children and the bare ownership to your grandchildren.
For those who don’t want to give during their lifetime, a will is an almost indispensable solution. It “offers the same possibilities as a donation, with effect upon your death, explains Barbara Thomas-David to Version Femina. You can in particular bequeath to one of your grandchildren, or to all of them, the non reserved for your children (half of your estate if you have one child, one third if you have two and one quarter from three or more).
Life insurance is the ideal financial product for transmitting money to a third party without paying taxes. It is not part of the succession. The amount exempted is up to €152,500 per beneficiary for payments made before you turn 70. Beyond this age, the limit is €30,500.