Question 1

What do notary fees include for existing properties?

Accepted Answer

Notary fees for existing properties comprise three parts: transfer duties (approximately 5.80% of the price, including departmental tax of 4.50%, municipal tax of 1.20%, and assessment fees of 0.10%), notary emoluments (approximately 1% of the price, according to a regulated degressive scale), and disbursements (costs advanced by the notary for urban planning documents, cadastral extracts, etc., approximately €1,000 to €1,500). In total, fees represent about 7 to 8% of the purchase price.

Question 2

Can notary fees be negotiated?

Accepted Answer

Transfer duties (taxes) are not negotiable as they are taxes collected by the state and local authorities. However, since the Macron law of 2016, notary emoluments can benefit from a discount of up to 20% on the portion of the price exceeding €100,000. Disbursement costs are actual costs and are not negotiable. A tip is to deduct furniture from the sale price (fitted kitchen, furniture) to reduce the transfer duty base.

Question 3

When do you pay notary fees?

Accepted Answer

Notary fees are paid on the day the authentic deed of sale is signed, usually 2 to 3 months after signing the preliminary sales agreement. The buyer must pay all fees to the notary, who will remit the transfer duties to the Treasury. If the fee amount was overestimated, the notary refunds the difference in the months following the sale. It is important to include these fees in your financing plan, as they are added to the property purchase price.

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