The French tax credit for garden maintenance: what you need to know
Small gardening jobs done by a professional qualify for a 50% tax credit, up to 5,000 € of spending per year per household, so 2,500 € at most. Garden design and landscaping are not included. The credit is claimed on a French income tax return.
How much you get back
The tax credit equals 50% of the amounts paid during the year for home services ("services à la personne"), which include small gardening jobs. For gardening, spending counts up to 5,000 € per year per tax household: the maximum tax credit is therefore 2,500 €.
It is a tax credit, not a tax reduction: if you pay no French income tax, or less than the amount of the credit, the difference is refunded to you. You do, however, need to file a French income tax return (déclaration de revenus) to claim it.
Which work qualifies
Small gardening jobs qualify, including brush clearance: mowing, hedge and shrub trimming, weeding, leaf clearance, routine maintenance.
Design and landscaping work does not qualify: designing a garden, earthworks, installing automatic irrigation or artificial grass. On our quotes, we show the eligible and non-eligible parts separately.
The conditions
The garden must belong to your home, main or second residence, located in France, whether you own it or rent it.
The work must be invoiced by an organisation registered for home services (services à la personne). For garden maintenance, we work with a home services cooperative: it invoices you and gives you the right to the tax credit.
The credit only benefits people who file a French income tax return. If your second home is in Provence but you are taxed only in another country, check your own situation before counting on it.
How to claim it
You receive an annual tax certificate. You enter the amount spent on your income tax return, in the home services section (form 2042-RICI).
We offer the immediate advance of the tax credit ("avance immédiate"): you only pay half the invoice, and Urssaf, the French social contributions agency, pays the other half. No more waiting until the following year to be reimbursed.