Are electric vehicle grants available for second-home owners in France?

Reader Question: I have had a second home in France for over 20 years but live in Ireland. I want to buy a new car in France and would like to know if I am eligible for French electric vehicle bonuses as a second-home owner. 

There are two main government funded schemes to help with the purchase of an electric vehicle, or to replace an old car with a new one of this type. 

These are the bonus écologique and the prime à la conversion. 

Read more: Buying an electric car in France: how government aid is changing

Unfortunately, however, to be eligible for either the bonus écologique or prime à la conversion, official French sources state that you must be domiciled in France.

Both also require a check of the applicant’s French tax household’s net taxable income levels (revenu fiscal de référence), which is found on the person’s avis d’impôt income tax statement. 

In the case of the bonus écologique, the amount available varies depending on the level of this income, in the case of the prime à la conversion, there is an income cap to benefit.

Having a revenu fiscal de référence requires a person to declare their income to the French tax authorities each year in spring, which is also not usually the case for non-resident second-home owners (unless they rent property out).

Read more: What is the ‘RFR’ figure used by French tax authorities?

There is further help available for electric car owners in the form of a tax credit worth up to 75% of the costs – up to a maximum of €300 – for installing an electric vehicle charging port on a property. 

This is available for the tenants and owners of both main and second homes but they need to be French  tax residents, and the credit is claimed as part of the annual tax declaration. 

Read more: Tax breaks continue for installing electric car home charger in France