Family Vineyards Grapple With French Inheritance Taxes

Small family vineyards throughout France face an uncertain future as the cost to transfer estates within a family climb under a complicated system of inheritance taxation and rising property values from sales to foreign or institutional investors. The costs can be so great that some can’t pay the inheritance tax without running up long-term debt or selling off a portion of their estate. French lawmakers are considering ways to help reduce the tax burden for family vineyards, which number just 7,000 today. On this week’s episode of our podcast, Talking Tax, Bloomberg Tax correspondent Shaun Courtney talks about her reporting into the inheritance tax challenges facing France's small family-owned vineyards. She traveled to Champagne to visit a vineyard owned by Sophie Moussié, the fifth generation in her family to run the estate. Do you have feedback on this episode of Talking Tax? Give us a call and leave a voicemail at 703-341-3690.