EXPLAINED: How to get a 'numéro fiscal' and create a French tax account

The French tax website Impots.Gouv.Fr is where you file your annual tax declaration and - in a new requirement - where property owners must make their 'declaration of occupation'.

If you're a new arrival in France you will need to create an account in order to file your compulsory annual declaration, while if you own French property - including second-home owners - you will need an online account in order to complete the déclaration d'occupation, which is a new requirement this year.

New French property tax declaration – your questions answered

Whichever group you fall into, you will need to set up an online account for yourself - here's how to go about this. 

Do you have a tax number?

If you have already filed taxes in France, your tax number (numéro fiscal) is likely already included on the paper copy of your bill. It is a 13-digit number that appears at the top of the first page of your last tax return.

If you already pay property taxes such as the taxe d'habitation or taxe foncière in France, it may also be included on your tax bill.

If you don't have a numéro fiscal, then you will need to request one. If you already have the number, then you can skip straight to Step 6 and set up your online account. 

Step 1

Go to Impots.Gouv.Fr website, click "Votre espace particulier" in the upper right hand corner.

This will take you to the page shown above. If you have your numéro fiscal, you would be able to simply log in using it, as shown on the left hand side of the screen. If you do not have a numéro fiscal, you will click "Vous n'avez pas encore de numéro fiscal?" (Don't have a tax number yet?) on the right of the page.

Step 2

Screenshot by The Local of Impots.Gouv.Fr

You should be taken to the screen above. It offers an explanation for how to create login details to access the personal space. First, it says that you will need to identify yourself based on your marital status, postal address, and with an identity document.

Do you live in France?

If you are a full-time resident in France, continue on the screen shown above. For residents filling out their income declaration for the first time - you will have to send your first tax return on paper. However, you can request your numéro fiscale online, create an online account and then download the income tax declaration from the website.

If, however, France is not your main home - for example you own a second-home in France but live elsewhere - you need a separate form.

In the yellow box you will see the line 'Attention - Si vous êtes non-résident, vous devez communiquer ces informations au moyen d'un formulaire dédié - Plus d'informations'

Click the link for "Plus d'informations" and it will take you to the section for non-residents. 

Step 3

Screenshot by The Local of Impots.Gouv.Fr

If you are a non-resident who needs a numéro fiscal - for example, a second-home owner, then scroll down to where it says 'Si vous ne desposez pas de ces informations' and then click on 'formulaire' in blue. This will take you to the form shown below.

Screenshot by The Local of Impots.Gouv.Fr

You will then need to fill out your name plus your date, country and place of birth, and your email address and phone number and click 'continuer'.

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Step 4

Once you have pressed continue, the next screen will show all of your information compiled into the correct format - you copy that off the screen and then paste it into an email. 

The next step is to attach proof of ID to the email - this can be a photo or scan of a valid national ID card or passport. If you're using an ID card, make sure you attack pictures or scans of both sides of the card. 

Finally, address your email to this address - [email protected] - and press send.

Once sent, you should receive an automated confirmation email - if you don't get this within 48 hours, check your spam or junk folder. 

Step 5

Wait. You won't get the number immediately - it usually takes a few weeks (between eight and 12 weeks is not unusual) and when it does arrive it will be via email.  

Step 6 

Congratulations, you have your numéro fiscale, the next step is to set up your online account on the Impots site.

Head to impots.gouv.fr and click Votre espace particulier in the top right of the screen

This brings you to the above site, and you can enter your numéro fiscal in the box on the left.

If you are setting up your account for the first time, you will need to fill in some personal details and create a password.

Once the account is set up, you can log in at any time using these details, or use France Connect for easier access.

Property tax declaration

If you need to complete the property tax declaration then we have some good news - you've already done the hard part by creating the account, the declaration itself is relatively straightforward. Here's how to complete it.

If you need help, you can call the tax hotline on  0 809 401 401, visit your local tax office (search Centre des finances publiques plus the name of your commune to find your local office) or select the ‘Contact et RDV’ section on the tax website.