Estates & successions
Valuing at the date that matters
Settling an estate without a rigorous, independent valuation is arbitrating blind. The practice establishes open market value at the relevant date, supported by comparable references, and defensible before heirs and the French tax authority alike.
Typical cases
- Estates in joint ownership with assets across multiple municipalities
- Disagreement between heirs on the value of a principal asset
- Declared value to the French tax authority (DMTG — inheritance tax base)
- Anticipated partition or shared gift
What you receive
- 25 to 60-page reasoned report depending on complexity
- Annexes: cadastral extracts, photographs, mutation references
- Reasoned value conclusion, defensible before tax authority and courts
- Post-report support: exchanges with heirs, notary or legal counsel
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Direct answers to the most common questions about this domain.
What date do you use for an estate valuation? +
The rule is constant: open market value is established at the date of death. Not the date of the declaration, not the date of partition. The expert uses comparable transactions available as of that date.
How much does an estate valuation cost? +
Fees are fixed, quoted before any commitment. For a standard asset (apartment, single house), the range is communicated after a brief description of the matter. The cost is far below the risk of a tax challenge on undervaluation.
Is the report admissible before the French tax authority (DGFiP)? +
Yes, when produced under the Charte de l'expertise standards. The report documents the methodology, comparables, and adjustments — defensible before the DGFiP within the three-year reassessment window.
Multiple heirs — can the valuation be adversarial (contradictoire)? +
Yes, and it's the recommended practice. Adversarial valuation lets each heir (or counsel) attend the visit, exchange on hypotheses, and receive the report simultaneously. It dramatically reduces the risk of later challenges.
The notary already gives a value estimate — is that enough? +
A notary can provide an order of magnitude, but it's not an independent reasoned expert report. For estates above €300,000 in real-estate value, or in case of disagreement, a sworn report significantly de-risks the declaration.
Engage the practice
First exchange
All work is undertaken under a signed engagement letter. The first exchange — by phone or email — frames the scope and purpose of the valuation.