As part of the 2025 budget, the Senate has ratified an increase in notary fees, which will add to the bill for property buyers from March 1. However, an exception is planned for some first-time buyers.
An increase in notary fees approved by the Senate
On January 23, the Senate approved the draft finance bill for 2025 by 217 votes to 105. This is good news for public finances, since every day without a budget costs France “100 million euros”, according to Amélie de Montchalin, Minister of Public Accounts.
But for home buyers, it’s a bitter pill to swallow. This is because the text validated by the senators includes one of the measures already mentioned under the government of Michel Barnier: the increase in transfer duties for valuable consideration (DMTO), often referred to as “notary fees”.
As a reminder, only a fraction of these fees – which amount to between 7 and 8% for an old house – goes to the notary. The rest ends up in the coffers of the State and local authorities. The departments, in particular, receive between 4 and 4.5% of these fees, which represent 15 to 20% of their income.
An additional cost of €1,500 for a purchase of €300,000
These fees had already increased by 0.7% in 2014. From March 1, 2025, they could rise again by 0.5%. The share of the DMTO collected by the departments would thus increase from 4.5 to 5%. This represents an additional cost of €1,500 for a property purchase of €300,000, according to the FNAIM.
In principle, this increase in DMTO should only be “temporary in nature”. The text stipulates that it will end on February 29, 2028. “But beware: when it comes to taxation, the ephemeral has an unfortunate tendency to become permanent,” warns Loïc Cantin, president of the FNAIM, interviewed by Le Particulier.
First-time buyers: exemption subject to conditions
The only exception is first-time buyers. An amendment stipulates that, for the latter, the 0.5% increase in the DMTO (local property transfer tax) will not apply to the portion of the purchase price less than or equal to €250,000. Provided, however, that the property is used as a principal residence.
And that’s not all. The text also stipulates that the departments may, if they wish, apply a reduced rate or even exempt first-time buyers. However, there is one condition: the buyer must undertake to occupy the property as their principal residence for at least five years.
That said, nothing has been finalized yet. The 2025 budget will be examined this Thursday in a joint committee, before going back to the National Assembly. The increase in notary fees could thus be rejected. All the more so as the budgetary effort imposed on local authorities has been revised downwards, from 5 to 2.2 billion euros.
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