Notary fees on a €400,000 purchase in France (2026): when the département costs thousands
At this price, one side of a départemental border or the other can be worth €2,000.
Checked by Radif Partners · Editorial policy
On €400,000, the département’s rate weighs in thousands of euros. In a 5% département, fees on a resale purchase reach €30,893. In one of the eleven départements still at 4.50%, such as Alpes-Maritimes, they fall to €28,846, €2,047 less. In Indre, the only département at 3.80%, they are €25,980. For a buyer searching on both sides of a border, between Var and Alpes-Maritimes, Val-d’Oise and Oise, or Isère and Drôme, the gap becomes a negotiating point. It disappears for a first-time buyer, who pays 4.50% wherever the increase was voted. On a new build the département plays no part at all: €8,479 everywhere. The calculator below shows the gap for any pair of départements and any price, so you can test the places on your own shortlist.
Estimated notary fees · Paris
€30,893
7.72 % of the price · Overall transfer tax rate 6.319 %
| Transfer tax · 5.00 %, rate raised to 5% (2025-2028 increase) | €25,274 |
| Notary emoluments (incl. VAT) | €4,312 |
| Formalities (incl. VAT) | €408 |
| Land registry contribution (CSI) · 0.10 % | €400 |
| Disbursements | €500 |
| Total | €30,893 |
First-time buyer: €2,047 less transfer tax.
Var and Alpes-Maritimes, a worked example
A €400,000 flat in Fréjus, in Var, bears €25,274 of transfer tax; the same flat in Cannes, in Alpes-Maritimes, €23,227. The €2,047 difference in total fees comes solely from the départemental tax and the collection fee that depends on it. Emoluments, the land registry contribution and disbursements are identical.
A gap to keep in proportion
Two thousand euros is real money, but on a €400,000 purchase it is less than the usual room for negotiation on the price, and far less than the price-per-square-metre gap between two towns. The fee gap matters mostly to choose between two comparable properties either side of a border. It is not a reason to move to a different area.
Fees on €400,000 by département and situation
| Département | Resale | First-time buyer | New build | Share of price (resale) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paris (5%) | €30,893 | €28,846 | €8,479 | 7.72 % |
| Alpes-Maritimes (4.50%) | €28,846 | €28,846 | €8,479 | 7.21 % |
| Indre (3.80%) | €25,980 | €25,980 | €8,479 | 6.49 % |
| Réunion (5%, overseas scale) | €31,846 | €29,799 | €9,432 | 7.96 % |
Other prices: €100,000 purchase · €150,000 purchase · €200,000 purchase · €250,000 purchase · €300,000 purchase · €500,000 purchase · €1,000,000 purchase.