How do tax credits work for hiring a gardener in France?
Some homeowners can benefit from a 50% tax credit on gardening work
There are ceilings on the value of tax credits that can be used
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Reader Question: There is a 50% reduction available for gardening work you pay for, to be set against income tax. Is it possible to obtain this discount against paid taxe foncière and taxe d’habitation? Can it be obtained if you do not pay French income tax?
The crédit d’impôt pour petits travaux de jardinage cannot be offset against either taxe foncière or taxe d’habitation.
People can, however, benefit from it even if they have no actual income tax to pay due to their overall income declared in France being under the taxable thresholds. This is technically because it is a tax ‘credit’, rather than just a reduction (in France, the latter can only be taken off actual tax payable).
Where this is the case then the tax office pays any surplus amount as a bank transfer.
Read more: Is it aways possible to correct an error in French tax income declaration?
Unfortunately, however, if you do not pay income tax because you are not a French fiscal resident, then this is not applicable.
As a general rule, French tax reductions and credits are only available to French fiscal residents, and this includes these tax credits for home services.
Where it applies, the tax credit for gardening work is 50% of expenses within an annual ceiling of €5,000.
It is claimed by inserting the relevant expenses in box 7DB on the income declaration.
