What the notary fees include
On the purchase of an existing property, the taxes make up by far the largest part of the costs: in Eure-et-Loir, transfer duties represent about 6.32 % of the price for most buyers, while the notary's remuneration represents a much smaller share. The notary collects these taxes and pays them to the tax authorities, the département and the municipality.
Disbursements (débours) are sums paid on the client's behalf to third parties: land registry searches, planning documents, extracts from registers, fees of the land registry service. The notary's remuneration consists of regulated fees (émoluments) for the deeds covered by the tariff and agreed fees (honoraires) for the other services.
The regulated tariff
The notary's remuneration for most deeds is set by a national tariff, laid down in articles L444-1 and following and A444-53 and following of the Commercial Code. The scale applicable since 1 January 2021 was renewed unchanged for 2026 to 2028 by an order of 25 February 2026, and applies until 29 February 2028. Regulated fees bear VAT at 20 %.
Some deeds carry a proportional fee calculated in bands of value, such as sales, gifts, partitions and marriage contracts above a certain value; others carry a fixed fee. The scale for the sale of real estate is shown below. For a price of €250,000, the fee amounts to €2,394.75 before VAT.
| Band of the sale price | Rate before VAT |
|---|---|
| €0 to €6,500 | 3.870 % |
| €6,500 to €17,000 | 1.596 % |
| €17,000 to €60,000 | 1.064 % |
| Above €60,000 | 0.799 % |
Examples of fixed fees
For family deeds, the tariff often provides a fixed amount. The figures below come from the regulated tariff in force in 2026; registration duties or other taxes may be added depending on the deed.
| Deed | Regulated fee | Other costs |
|---|---|---|
| Filing of a divorce by mutual consent | €41.20 before VAT (€49.44 including VAT) | None for the filing itself |
| Marriage contract, declared property up to €30,800 | €188.68 before VAT | Registration and formalities |
| PACS agreement drafted by the notary | €101.41 including VAT | Registration duty of €125 |
| Notarial will | €135.83 including VAT | Registration in the central register of wills |
| Gift between spouses | €135.84 including VAT | Fixed registration duty of €125 |
Discounts
The tariff allows a discount on proportional fees, limited to 20 % of the fee calculated on the part of the value above €100,000. When an office grants such a discount, it must apply it in the same way to all its clients for the same type of deed. The regulated fees are otherwise fixed and are the same in every notarial office in France.
The fees are also identical whether you sign at the office or through a notarial power of attorney granted remotely: see remote notarial signing.
Taxes collected for the State and local authorities
The taxes depend on the operation. On a purchase, transfer duties apply; on a gift or an inheritance, gift or inheritance tax, according to the relationship between the parties; on a partition, a partition duty. The notary calculates them, collects them and pays them to the tax authorities on your behalf. Our page on buying property in France details the purchase costs, and our simulators estimate them.
| Operation | Main tax | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Purchase of an existing property in Eure-et-Loir | Departmental and communal transfer duties | About 6.32 % of the price; lower for first-time buyers of a main residence |
| Purchase of a new property from a developer | Land registration tax | 0.715 % of the price excluding VAT |
| Any sale or gift of real estate | Property security contribution | 0.10 % of the value |
| Partition after divorce or end of a PACS | Partition duty | 1.1 % of the net assets |
| Other partitions | Partition duty | 2.5 % of the net assets |
| Gift to a child | Gift tax after an allowance of €100,000 | 5 % to 45 % |
Fees agreed in writing for other services
Some services fall outside the regulated tariff: legal consultations, company deeds, commercial leases, wealth advice, property management and property negotiation. Under article L444-1 of the Commercial Code, their remuneration is set in a written fee agreement (convention d'honoraires), signed before the office acts, stating the amount or the method of calculation.
When the office finds a buyer for a property, it receives a negotiation fee agreed in the sales mandate; its amount and the party who bears it appear in each advertisement. Our pages on wealth planning and on property management describe these services.
The statement of account and your remedies
Once the formalities are completed, the office gives you a detailed statement distinguishing the taxes paid to the Treasury, the disbursements, the regulated fees with the reference of the applicable tariff, and any agreed fees. Any sum held in excess is refunded.
In the event of a dispute about fees, you can refer the matter free of charge to the Notarial Mediator (Médiateur du notariat), after a written complaint addressed to the office.