Paper version of ‘property use’ form available online in French and English

Home owners who need to update information about the status of their property as part of the Biens immobiliers declaration can once again download a paper version of the form online to complete it this year.

Contrary to some reports at the beginning of the year that the only way to update the information in 2025 was to be online, the French tax authorities have made a downloadable version of the form available on its website. 

The n°1208-OD-SD can be downloaded here, and then printed out and sent to your local tax office. It is also available in English as well as several other languages. 

The form says that it should only be downloaded and used by people who do not have access to the internet at their property. 

However, there are no penalties for handing in a physical version of the form.

Property owners are still encouraged to complete the declaration (if necessary) through their personal space on the French tax website, via the Biens immobiliers section. 

The deadline to complete the declaration if needed is July 1, 2025.

Not everyone needs to complete a declaration 

The declaration does not need to be completed by all property owners, only a select group. 

There are two conditions for when you must complete the declaration: 

• The status of your property changed between January 2, 2024 and January 1, 2025

• You have not yet completed the declaration since it was introduced in 2023 

In the case of the former, this relates to a change in occupancy status (new owner, tenant, or if the property has become vacant or switched to a main or second home, etc), or a major change to the property. 

Regarding the latter, all property owners were in theory expected to complete the declaration in 2023, however the tax authorities were lenient after several teething problems. 

In 2024, only those who had seen the status of their property change or did not fill out the form in 2023 were required to complete it.

All owners should in theory have now completed the declaration at least once, although the tax authorities state that there are owners who are yet to do so. 

A €150 fine per undeclared property (or for each incorrect declaration) will be levied from 2026, ministers have stated. 

What about newcomers? 

In the event that you moved to France in 2024 (not in 2025, as that information is included on the 2026 version of the form), you will still need to complete the form. 

In the event of a property purchase, the onus is on the new owner to update their Biens immobiliers declaration to inform the authorities of the change in ownership.

You can do this online through your personal space if you have a tax number (numéro fiscal), however as you have only recently moved to France you may not yet have one, as you are yet to complete your tax return. 

In this case, it is advisable to print out the document above and make an appointment with your local tax office, who will be able to help you.