Will the amount of inheritance tax change? The subject regularly comes to the fore. The debate is sometimes lively between those who want to tax inheritances from the first euro and those who want to increase the amount of allowances within the same family.
Recently, the economist André Masson recommended significantly increasing the tax on inheritance: only families would escape this increase if the parents subscribed to long-term investments to be kept for twenty-five years, which would finance investments of future before returning to the children. In his 2022 presidential program, Emmanuel Macron proposed that the middle classes could more easily transmit “the fruit of their labor”.
Each child would thus benefit from an allowance of 150,000 euros, while the other members of the family (grandchildren, nephews, nieces, etc.) could receive up to 100,000 euros without paying tax. For the time being, these provisions remain an election promise. Nothing says that the government will include them in the next finance bill, as the debate around the amount of inheritance tax is explosive.
A real headache
Without even talking about taxation, inheritance remains a taboo subject, probably because it is difficult to contemplate one’s death or to dispossess oneself of certain assets. Few people take steps to organize their estate, probably because many French people do not think they have sufficient assets. However, it is strongly recommended to take care of it if you want to transmit it with complete peace of mind.
The game of donations made to his children allows, for example, with reduced taxation, to transfer part of his assets during his lifetime. The lucky beneficiaries will thus be able to have access to part of their inheritance when they need it most, as the age at which one inherits continues to decline – it is over 50 today. And if you want to favor one heir over another, it is better to know what is authorized or not, if only to avoid legal battles after his death.
The proliferation of blended families also complicates inheritance. Remarriage, PACS, children from different beds are all elements that risk making the succession a real headache and, above all, to be the source of disputes between heirs.
Finally, those who inherit, even if they go through a notary, have every interest in properly assessing the ins and outs. In order to prevent conflicts, it is particularly important to be very careful when deciding to keep a family asset between brothers and sisters. Successions are often the moment when hidden quarrels come to light.