Investment under the Robien scheme

As well as being a safe long-term investment, investing in new-build property offers a number of tax advantages, including the significant tax reductions offered by the Robien recentré scheme. Under this arrangement, you can write off up to 50% of the cost of your investment over 15 years.

Please note: this scheme will be phased out at the end of 2009, when it will be replaced by the Scellier scheme.

The role played by Bouygues Immobilier

Investing under the terms of the Robien recentré scheme doesn't have to be stressful. Bouygues Immobilier is here to guide you towards the right decision by taking into account your priorities and ensuring that you remain in charge of your own property rental investment.As part of guaranteeing that our customers adopt the right investment strategy, we have developed a comprehensive range of guarantees and services. We provide a personally-tailored response to your needs through 4 packages designed to ensure the security of your investment, from purchase through to rental management. We can therefore offer you several different levels of support. It's up to you to choose the comfort zone that’s right for you!Property characteristics

To qualify for the Robien recentré tax reduction scheme, your property must fulfil the following 5 conditions:

• The property must be located on the French mainland or in one of the overseas départements
• The property must be newly completed or bought off-plan prior to completion (VEFA in French)
• The property must have been purchased after 1 September 2006
• The property must be let unfurnished continually for at least 9 years, with the tenancy beginning within 12 months of completion of construction work or the date of purchase
• The technical and energy performance levels of the property must comply with the appropriate regulations, which are currently RT 2005 A certificate demonstrating compliance with these “eco conditions” must be supplied for properties for which the planning application is submitted after the implementation date of the decree, which will determine the methods to be used (no later than 11 January 2010)

Tenancy obligations

In order for you to receive the tax benefits, your tenant must fulfil the following conditions:

- the property must be his or her principal residence
- the tenant must not be a member of your tax household However, the tenant may be someone from a younger or older generation of your family.How the Robien recentré works

In order to benefit from the tax reductions offered under the Robien recentré scheme, you must make a specific declaration of your intention using the appropriate form obtained from your tax office.

During the initial 9-year period, you can deduct up to 50% of the purchase price of your property (including legal fees) from the rental income you receive. The following rates apply:

- 6% of the purchase price per year for the first 7 years (i.e. 42% over 7 years)
- 4% of the purchase price per year in the following 2 years (i.e. 8 % over 2 years)