A company or an individual investor wishing to acquire a real estate will follow the following procedure: First, there is the promise of sale which is signed between a buyer and a vendor. Then, the buyer usually places a deposit of 10% of the property price in the hands of the notary. This security deposit guarantees the buyer's commitment. If the buyer cannot purchase or does not wish to continue with the purchase anymore, he loses the 10% he has paid which, are given to the seller. The notary then collects various documents (entitlement of the parties, mortgage situation, town-planning, property verification...). After the notary has collected all the documents, the Final Sales Agreement is signed. It is a deed and is almost indisputable in court. French law imposes various taxes, such as the local property taxes and the wealth tax. To benefit from some tax or succession measures, it may be interesting to manage a property through a SCI. A SCI requires no minimum capital. Whatever the nationality of the buyer, any individual or legal person may be involved in a SCI. The SCI provides an interesting inheritance tax planning tool for families.
Hugues DE LA MORANDIERE
Arnaud Truong
