French MPs vote through tax credit for mandatory garden undergrowth clearing
The tax credit would help with costs of annual débroussaillement in affected areas
Débroussaillement is the practice of clearing undergrowth and excess vegetation in private gardens and land in areas that are prone to forest firesMaksim Safaniuk/Shutterstock
French MPs have voted through a tax credit for householders who are required to clear their garden undergrowth every year to help prevent forest fires (débroussaillement in French).
The Assemblée Nationale voted through the credit as part of the 2026 Budget (le projet de loi de finances 2026) on Monday, October 27.
Should it be implemented, the tax credit would refund up to 50% of débroussaillement costs, up to a limit of €3,000 per household, the bill states.
The credit has been voted through, but its ultimate implementation is still dependent on the final budget vote.
What is débroussaillement?
Débroussaillement is the practice of clearing undergrowth and excess vegetation in private gardens and land in areas that are prone to forest fires, particularly during the summer.
Homeowners must clear the land around their property, generally at a radius of 50 metres.
This 50 metre radius also applies to all buildings on your property, not just the main house or barn – for example, if there is a shed or outbuilding more than 50 metres from your home, you must clear the growth 50 metres around this as well.
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Roads and footpaths leading up to your property must be cleaned of undergrowth on either side up to 10 metres.
This radius may extend into other properties and public areas, although you are still required to clear the undergrowth.
The practice is mandatory for owners who have property in the affected zones, and applies to properties in both urban and rural areas. Fines and penalties apply for owners who do not comply.
The practice was initially limited to the south of the country, but hotter and dryer summers caused by climate change now mean that more than 40 departments (out of 96 in mainland France) have the system.
The system does not only apply in summer, however. Land clearance can be much easier in the colder months, when plants and trees are not growing. In fact, the government encourages owners to do as much as they can in the winter, to help prepare for the hotter months.
Where does débroussaillement apply?
The rules mostly apply in five regions – Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Corsica, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Occitanie and Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur – however, certain other forested areas may have similar rules in place.
Should it be introduced, the tax credit would “correct an inequality” in the law, said Hervé Saulignac MP in parliament, in support of the measure, reports Capital.
It can cost some homeowners “well over €10,000” to properly clear undergrowth in some gardens and outdoor areas, he said.
This is particularly true for owners “in rural areas, for often-elderly owners with considerable land around agricultural buildings” in affected zones, because these areas often require “the cutting of trees, shredding and removal of large volumes of vegetation”, he added.
Sophie Pantel MP, who tabled the amendment, said that “existing measures offer a tax advantage to taxpayers” but “effectively exclude low-income households, particularly non-taxable households [those with incomes too low to tax]” even though these households are “nevertheless subject to the same legal obligations [of débroussaillement]”.
She said that introducing a tax credit would ensure that everyone affected by the requirement would be on an “equal footing”.
Controversial credit?
The bill was controversial for some, with both Philippe Juvin and Roland Lescure (the general rapporteur for the budget, and the Economy Minister, respectively) both claiming that débroussaillement costs are already eligible for payments via the personal services system, le crédit d’impôt services à la personne (Cisap).
The Cisap system enables taxpayers to claim for tax refunds if they pay for eligible home help and services, e.g. a regular gardener who is covered by the scheme.
But Mr Saulignac disputed that it applies to débroussaillement, calling the statement “absolutely false”.
The tax credit bill received support from others, however.
Marc Fesneau, current president of the Les Démocrates party and former Minister of Agriculture, said that “a tax credit capped at €3,000 per household” would still “cost less than fire management” in areas in which forest fires present a genuine risk.
Forest fire risk
Forest fires are always a danger in France in the summer months. The first major outbreak of summer 2025 happened on June 29, with a 400-hectare blaze in Aude that required 150 firefighters to extinguish.
High temperatures and a lack of rainfall in the summer mean the risk of forest fires is increasing. Official state forecaster Météo France publishes a daily ‘forest fire’ risk map in the summer, which shows departments where the risk of a blaze is highest.
