The discount on French notary emoluments: the only negotiable part of the fees
An option framed by the Commercial Code, worth less than most people think.
Checked by Radif Partners · Editorial policy
Since the reform of the notary tariff, article R444-10 of the French Commercial Code has allowed a notary to grant a discount on proportional emoluments when the price exceeds €100,000, up to 20 %. The discount applies only to the part of the emoluments calculated on the fraction of the price above €100,000, at the marginal rate of 0.799 %. On a €450,000 purchase, the maximum discount saves €671 including VAT, out of €34,582 in fees in Hauts-de-Seine. It is optional, must be displayed in the office and granted to all clients on the same terms. Transfer tax never moves, nor do the land registry contribution or the disbursements. If you are used to haggling over conveyancing fees elsewhere, this is the only room you have.
What a notary discount is worth
Discount incl. VAT
€671
| Emoluments on the part above €100,000 | €2,797 |
| Emoluments incl. VAT after discount | €4,120 |
What a 20% discount is worth
| Price | Emoluments incl. VAT, no discount | Maximum discount incl. VAT | Share of total fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| €100,000 | €1,436 | €0 | 0.00 % |
| €200,000 | €2,394 | €192 | 1.19 % |
| €300,000 | €3,353 | €384 | 1.63 % |
| €450,000 | €4,791 | €671 | 1.94 % |
| €600,000 | €6,230 | €959 | 2.10 % |
| €1,000,000 | €10,065 | €1,726 | 2.30 % |
At €100,000 the discount is nil: there is no fraction above the threshold. At €200,000 it remains modest, a little over €190 including VAT. It only approaches a thousand euros around €600,000. Above all, the table shows that the discount never exceeds 2% of total fees, because it only touches the notary’s pay and not the tax, which makes up most of the bill.
The rules of the game
The discount is not a private negotiation. A notary who offers it sets, for each type of deed, a single rate per price band, displays it in the office and applies it to every client in the same situation. They cannot reserve the discount for a loyal client or a developer who brings in business. These rules preserve equality before a regulated tariff while allowing a little competition on large files. A discount granted in breach of them would expose the notary to disciplinary proceedings, since compliance with the tariff is part of the profession’s obligations.
For transactions over €10 million, a larger discount of up to 40% is allowed on certain listed services, such as contributions of property to a company. These are professional transactions, rarely a private purchase.
How to ask for it
Before signing the preliminary contract or at the first appointment, ask the office whether it applies a discount scale to sales, and which one. The calculator lets you enter the rate obtained in the advanced options: it applies it only to the part of the emoluments calculated above €100,000, not to their total. If the office offers no discount, leave the field at zero: the result then matches the regulated scale exactly.
Why the discount stays limited
The French notary tariff was designed so that each deed covers its average cost: large sales offset small ones, which are often loss-making for the office. The discount allows a little competition on big files without breaking that balance, since it only covers the fraction above €100,000. Each office decides freely whether to offer it; nothing obliges it to, and a refusal need not be explained. That is why the calculator applies no discount by default.
A worked example
Take a €600,000 house in Hauts-de-Seine. Without a discount, the emoluments come to €6,230 including VAT. The part calculated above €100,000 is the €500,000 at the top rate, €3,995 excluding VAT; a 20% discount takes off €799 excluding VAT, or €959 with VAT. On total fees of €45,648, that is 2.1 %. The same buyer, if eligible as a first-time buyer, would save €3,071 on transfer tax, with no negotiation at all.
More effective levers
If the aim is to cut the bill, three levers save more: first-time buyer status, worth about 0.51% of the price in a 5% département; listing the furniture sold with the home, which takes its value out of the taxable base; and having the agency commission paid by the buyer. The guide to reducing notary fees compares them on your own purchase.