What was the surprise of these young people who recently received a tax notice in their mail. In recent weeks, several people, still living with their parents, have opened a letter from Bercy, demanding several hundred or even thousands of euros in housing tax on a second home. As confirmed by the General Directorate of Public Finances in Le Figaro, the tax centers have been “heavily solicited” for several days on this subject. And Bercy pleads the computer error, linked to the automation of a procedure.
While parent owners have declared their children on the declaration of occupants of residential premises since the beginning of the year – they must specify who their accommodation is occupied by to identify second homes – the system has issued a notice in the name of these young people, “fiscally unknown”. So the problem comes from there. When a property is not declared as occupied by a tenant, the tax automatically applies. Especially since the government has removed this tax for primary residences, it remains applicable for secondary residences. The Solidaires Public Finances union may have advanced a 70% increase in housing tax notices for second homes (THRS) compared to 2022 in a press release, but the ministry denies this figure. According to information from Les Échos, which cites the ministry, the number increased by only 3% this year to reach 4 million.
Also read Housing tax: what to do if the tax authorities send you a notice by mistake?
“These are very marginal situations identified by our services and for which taxes will be automatically reduced,” the ministry is still told. What should you do if you are affected? “Young people should contact the tax centers as quickly as possible. A litigation phase will be put in place,” indicates the General Directorate of Public Finances. “When in doubt, you should not wait, it is better to take the lead.”
