Reader question: A UK-based friend is selling his French holiday home for €300,000. He bought land for €77,000 and had a house built for €200,000. However, the problem is that he has very few invoices for the construction. He entrusted the work to a maître d’oeuvre who told him what to pay, and who has now died and his company closed. We have estimates, bank statements and cheque stubs but the notaire says the fiscal representative will need invoices. Is it true? R.T.
Unfortunately, the notaire is correct. Invoices are required to be able to claim the expenses against income tax.
The only real option is to contact the contractors and see if they can provide a copy of the invoice for the payments that appear on the bank statements (cheque stubs are not allow-able) though it is worth also submitting the quotes, as long as the cheques tally with the amount on the quote.
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