Giving crypto-assets in France: preparing the transfer, reporting and evidence
Published 24/07/2025 · Updated 08/09/2026 · Houssen Issouf Aly, French chartered accountant
Crypto-assets · Companies · Directors
Practical guidance for companies and directors. Revised on 7 September 2026.
Prepare the gift before moving the assets
Giving crypto-assets to a child or relative requires more than sending tokens to an address. Identify the asset, its owner, the actual recipient and the records explaining the transfer. A blockchain movement might instead be a transfer between your own wallets, a loan or a payment.
Separate personal holdings from company assets. A director cannot treat the company’s portfolio as their own. Minors, cross-border arrangements, divided ownership or the balance between heirs require appropriate advice before execution.
Separate reporting from gift tax
French tax guidance on manual gifts states that the recipient must report a gift even when no duty is payable. Online reporting is mandatory from 1 January 2026, subject to exceptions. Confirm the classification, procedure and timetable for the transaction rather than assuming its value removes the reporting requirement.
The gift-tax calculation considers family relationship and previous gifts within fifteen years. The parent-child allowance is €100,000, subject to the unused amount. Do not transfer an inheritance allowance to an unrelated-person gift. Gifts between non-relatives generally face 60% on the taxable amount, subject to any applicable special provisions.
Bring previous deeds and returns to the discussion. Establish who will cover costs and any duty, and how the necessary liquidity will be available.
Build an evidence file
The file should explain the transaction without providing private keys. A transmission record can connect:
- People: identity, tax residence, relationship and ownership.
- Assets: type, quantity, network and relevant accounts or addresses.
- Purpose: intended gift, conditions and documented acceptance.
- History: asset origin and relevant prior gifts.
- Value: price source, timestamp, euro conversion and method.
- Execution: transaction reference or provider statement and reconciled quantities.
- Formalities: deed where relevant, reporting receipt and payment where due.
An on-chain movement does not replace identification of the parties or legal assessment. Keep the records available to authorised people and separate from the secrets controlling the assets.
Preserve valuation evidence for later decisions
Determine the appropriate valuation rules with the adviser, considering the form of transfer and reporting date. Do not select a later price simply because it produces a preferable result. Retain prices at relevant dates and explain the method used.
For a later disposal within the private regime under Article 150 VH bis, BOFiP guidance on assets acquired by gift refers to the value used for transfer duties or, failing that, actual value on entry into the recipient’s assets. An exemption from gift duty does not remove the need to retain valuation evidence. The later calculation still depends on the portfolio and applicable regime.
Fictional file example: a parent transfers ten units from a personal account to their child’s account. The record includes network, quantity, account references and receipt evidence. Dated price records support the agreed valuation. This example describes documentation, not a tax calculation or tax-free outcome.
Plan receipt and subsequent use
Confirm that the recipient understands the account or wallet, supported asset and network, and access arrangements. Avoid including recovery phrases in tax correspondence.
Disclose any intended quick sale, property purchase or wider estate arrangement during the initial review. Gift, sale and use of the proceeds are connected decisions requiring assessment of their facts. A gift should not be presented as a universal way to eliminate tax.
Frequently asked questions
Can an allowance-covered gift still require reporting?
Yes. Reporting and duty calculation are separate questions.
Is a transfer to my second wallet a gift?
Examine actual ownership and purpose. Changing the storage location alone does not establish a transfer to another person.
How can HODL help?
We can organise histories and valuation evidence with the notary or legal adviser. Read the private crypto-tax guide and wallet records and access guide, or discuss your intended gift.