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In France, donations and bequests accorded to a registered charity are exempt from ownership and inheritance transfer taxes.
Donations
During your lifetime you can donate property, an object of value or a sum of money to the Fondation. This donation should be registered with a solicitor, and it takes effect from the signing of the deeds.
Bequests
Via a bequest, you can help the Fondation after your death. A will made in France containing a bequest should comply with either of these formats:
- Holographic will: handwritten, dated and signed by you. Your solicitor may be able to advise you upon writing this will, and can retain it for safekeeping.
- Authenticated will: dictated by you to your solicitor in the presence of a third party.
The bequest can be modified at any time during the donor’s lifetime and only takes effect upon their decease.
N.B. For wills established in jurisdictions outside France, please contact the Fondation.
What can I bequeath? Any item of the donor’s property can be bequeathed, once all the parts to which heirs are legally entitled have been distributed. N.B. In France, heirs are legally permitted to donate part of this inheritance to a registered charity. Please contact the Fondation for full details.
Other types of gift
In France, you may also take out life insurance and designate the Fondation as one of its beneficiaries. If you do not wish to sign off your ownership of a capital, you can effect a temporary donation of usufruct. Thus, you can give the profits of movable and immovable property to a charity whilst retaining the base ownership, with the right to recover the property and its profit after a fixed time period. For further information, please consult your solicitor.
For other types of gift outside France, please contact us directly.
