Section I: Taxes established and collected as direct taxes for the benefit of local authorities and various bodies

Articles in this section · 2

Article 1641

French General Tax CodeIn force

Updated 7 Nov 2023

I. - A. - In return for the costs of tax relief and non-assessments that it assumes, the State collects 2% of the amount of the following taxes:

a) Property tax on built-up properties;

b) Property tax on non-built-up properties;

c) Council tax on second homes and other furnished premises not allocated to the principal dwelling;

d) Cotisation foncière des entreprises;

e) Imposition forfaitaire sur les entreprises de réseaux prévues aux articles 1519 D, 1519 E, 1519 F, 1519 G, 1519 H, 1519 HA, 1519 HB, 1599 quater A, 1599 quater A bis and 1599 quater B;

f) Tax additionnelle à la taxe foncière sur les propriétés non bâties prévues à article 1519 I ;

g) Tax for aquatic environment management and flood prevention provided for in article 1530 bis ;

h) By way of derogation from d of 1 of B, the household waste removal tax for the first five years during which the incentive share mentioned in I of article 1522 bis is implemented.

B. - 1. In return for the rebate costs referred to in A, the State collects 3.6% of the amount of the following taxes:

a) Tax for the costs of chambers of agriculture;

b) Tax additionnelle à la cotisation foncière des entreprises mentionnée au II de l'article 1600;

c) Tax for the costs of chambers of trades and crafts;

d) Tax d'enlèvement des ordures ménagères sauf dans le cas prévu au h du A;

e) (Abrogated).

2. Unless otherwise provided, the same applies to contributions and taxes which are established and collected as in the case of direct contributions for the benefit of local authorities, their public establishments for inter-communal cooperation and various funds, establishments or bodies.

3. (Repealed).

II. - For tax assessment and collection costs, the State collects 1% of the amount of the taxes referred to in A of I and 5.4% of the amount of those referred to in B of the same I. For the taxes referred to in the same B and levied for the benefit of local authorities and their groupings, this rate is reduced to 4.4%.

Mariela Petrova

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Working with a corporate lawyer in France — Q&A

Any time a strategic decision changes how the company is owned, governed or contractually bound — incorporation, fundraising, M&A, restructuring, shareholder agreements, or major commercial contracts. Earlier engagement always costs less than later remediation.

A notary (notaire) is a public officer who authenticates specific deeds (mainly real-estate transfers and certain family-law acts). A corporate lawyer (avocat) advises on strategy, negotiates and drafts company documents, and represents you in disputes. The two roles complement rather than overlap.

Yes — most of our clients are foreign suppliers, investors or holding entities. We bridge the gap between French law and your home jurisdiction's expectations and deliver everything bilingually.

The SAS (Société par Actions Simplifiée) is the default choice for most international structures: flexible governance, single shareholder allowed, no minimum capital, and works cleanly with foreign holding entities. We assess SARL, SA, SCI on the merits when the situation calls for it.

Yes — communications with a French avocat are protected by the secret professionnel (Article 66-5 of the Law of 31 December 1971). This protection is broader than the common-law attorney-client privilege and applies to written and oral exchanges.

We work on fixed fees for clearly scoped engagements (incorporation, contract drafting, audits) and on monthly retainers for ongoing advisory. Hourly billing is the exception, not the default. You always know the cost before work starts.

Typical timeline is 2–3 weeks from KYC kick-off to RCS registration, assuming standard documentation. Holding-company structures, foreign-shareholder identification or in-kind contributions can extend this — we flag the gating items at the first meeting.

Absolutely. We routinely coordinate with your in-house counsel, expert-comptable or notaire — pragmatic collaboration is the norm, not the exception. We send them everything they need to do their part without duplicating work.

Mariela Petrova

Mariela Petrova

Avocate au Barreau de Paris

Toque #C2396

15+ Years In Corporate Practice

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Communications protected by professional secrecy — secret professionnel de l'avocat, Article 66-5 of the Law of 31 December 1971.

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