Expatriates and future non-residents · Practical guidance
Moving abroad: organise your financial questions before acting
Changing countries does not mean that all contracts, income and property held in France must be treated in the same way. The first step is to organize the necessary information and validations before a decision is difficult to undo.
Martins Patrimoine · Updated on
1. Set the actual project schedule
Distinguish the project of departure, the dates envisaged, the change of activity and the movements of the members of the household. This information allows the competent interlocutors to examine your situation without limiting themselves to an isolated administrative date.
The tax residence does not automatically deduce itself from the date of the move. This checklist does not cut off your residence: it prepares the necessary elements for its examination.
- My planned departure and installation dates
- The situation of the home and activity
- Residency issues for consideration
2. Inventory what remains in France
List the contracts, accounts, real estate, debts and income held in France. For each item, note the establishment or professional to contact and the question to ask.
The site impots.gouv.fr distinguishes among other things the initial steps, investments, real estate and donations. Use its headings to find the official information corresponding to your subject, then have its application reviewed to your situation.
- Contracts and their interlocutors
- Property, debt and income in France
- The official steps to be checked
3. Separate audit decisions
Selling, renting, closing or transferring are not just interchangeable formalities. Before you act, identify what you are looking for, the necessary information and the consequences to be confirmed.
A three-column list may be sufficient: a proposed decision, an unresolved question, or a contact person. It makes visible what can progress and what still depends on an answer.
- The decisions I am considering
- The information I miss
- Professionals and Administrations to contact
4. Connecting the start to your future projects
The project may involve a sustainable installation, a few years abroad or an already planned return. Also present your income needs, your real estate projects and questions about your loved ones.
For a project between France and Spain, an exchange allows to identify the subjects to be coordinated between the two countries. No tax treatment, contract maintenance or result can be guaranteed by this general scheme.
Sources and scope
This sheet helps to prepare a discussion. It is neither an analysis of your situation nor a recommendation for investment.