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What are the annual taxes on a Provence property?
Short answer
Provence has some of the highest taxe foncière rates in rural France. Coastal Var communes also apply a 60% THRS surcharge on secondary residences. Budget €2,000–€6,000 per year in total taxes for a typical rural property.
In detail
Provence spans several départements — Bouches-du-Rhône (13), Var (83), Vaucluse (84), and Alpes-de-Haute-Provence (04) — with very different tax rates. The Var and Bouches-du-Rhône tend to have significantly higher rates than the more rural Vaucluse or Alpes-de-Haute-Provence.
Taxe foncière by département
The combined TFB rate varies enormously from one commune to the next. As a rough guide, here is what a typical rural property generates in annual taxe foncière across Provence's four départements.
| Département | Typical TFB range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Vaucluse (84) — Luberon | €1,200–€2,500 | Lower rates in small communes like Gordes (26.95%) |
| Var (83) — coastal | €2,000–€5,000+ | Urban and coastal communes push rates higher |
| Bouches-du-Rhône (13) | €1,500–€3,500 | Aix surroundings at the upper end |
| Alpes-de-Haute-Provence (04) | €800–€2,000 | Lowest rates in Provence |
THRS surcharge on secondary residences
Many Var and Bouches-du-Rhône communes have been classified as zones tendues, where a THRS surcharge of up to 60% applies on secondary homes. If the base taxe d'habitation would be €1,000, you pay €1,600 in a zone tendue commune. Check the exact commune status before purchasing — this single variable can add thousands per year to your tax bill.
Pool tax
A swimming pool must be declared to the cadastre and is taxed as a surface taxable. A standard 10×5 metre pool adds €200–€600 to the annual taxe foncière depending on the commune rate.
What this means in practice: The Luberon communes — Bonnieux, Ménerbes, Gordes — have very high prestige and correspondingly high tax bases. The northern Vaucluse (Ventoux foothills) and Alpes-de-Haute-Provence offer similar landscapes at meaningfully lower tax rates.
Based on DGFiP, REI DGFiP 2025
Last reviewed: Feb 2026
