If you are identified as an heir, through intestacy or a will, you may choose to accept or disclaim the inheritance you are entitled to (up to four months after the date of death). The timeframe needed to reach completion in the settlement of an estate depends on multiple factors as each estate is a very unique case. Although in average, in France, most of the estates are settled within six months. This six months period also marks the deadline enforced by French law on the heirs to pay up their inheritance tax. In case of delay, an interest rate of 0.20% per month is applied to the total amount by the tax authorities (in addition to a 10% fixed penalty if the delay exceeds six months). However, if you did sign a contract as well as a power of attorney with us, we will legally be in position to negotiate the interest rate with the authorities.
