Crypto and Real Estate: How to Pay Tax Only When It's Due ?

You've accumulated Bitcoin or USDC. You've found the perfect property in France. The temptation is real: sell everything, transfer the euros to your account, and pay the French notary like everyone else. Simple, straightforward. Also exactly the wrong move, or at least, not like that.

Because in France, selling crypto immediately triggers capital gains tax. And that tax will be due even if your property purchase falls through.

In France, as soon as there is a transfer of ownership of cryptocurrencies, tax applies to your capital gain: this is what is known as the taxable event. This naturally includes any sale or conversion to euros. Whatever you do with the money afterwards: once you've sold, the tax is due. It will need to be settled the following year when you file your tax return.

Since 1 January 2026, following the definitive adoption of the PLFSS 2026, the Prélèvement Forfaitaire Unique (PFU, France's flat tax) applicable to capital gains on crypto-assets stands at 31.4%, broken down as follows:

Imagine you want to purchase a property for €1,000,000. You sell your Bitcoin to fund the purchase. Your taxable capital gain amounts to €800,000.

So far, nothing unusual if the transaction goes through. But imagine the sale falls through: mortgage refusal, pre-emption right, seller withdrawal, hidden defect discovered before signing, damage to the property, dispute over the title. You are then left:

That's the trap: a definitive tax bill on a transaction that never happened.

It is entirely possible to avoid this. The principle: you keep your crypto until the notary's fund calls (earnest money deposit and final signing). The conversion to euros only takes place at that precise moment, not before.

To achieve this, you go through a secure crypto-asset escrow: your funds are placed in a dedicated account in your name, locked until the notary's fund call.

The legal structure of the escrow is what makes all the difference: correctly drafted, it guarantees that you remain the owner of your assets throughout the transaction, and therefore that no tax applies until the sale is signed.

If the sale is cancelled, your assets are returned to you without having been converted. No tax.

This is a legitimate question for anyone holding crypto for several weeks or months during a transaction. How do you guarantee the amount will be available on the day?

The answer: overcollateralisation. You deposit a value greater than the purchase price, creating a buffer that absorbs any potential market drop.

The coefficients shown below are illustrative. They vary depending on the asset deposited and market conditions at the time of the transaction.

On the day of signing, only the exact amount is converted. The remainder is returned to your wallet, without conversion, and therefore without tax on that portion.

This isn't a standard service. For your funds to be truly secure, the provider must be registered with the AMF as a PSAN (Digital Asset Service Provider). This status guarantees a structured compliance framework: identity verification (KYC) and source of funds check (AML/CFT).

Beyond PSAN status, check how your assets are actually held. At Legibloq, your crypto is placed on a dedicated blockchain address and never re-used. This is what guarantees 100% availability on the day.

The process is straightforward:

Once the funds are deposited, you can verify on-chain yourself that they are exactly where they should be.

At the time of the fund calls, the provider converts the crypto to euros and transfers the amount directly to the notary's Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations account (France's public deposit institution). The funds do not go through your bank, avoiding any complications related to their crypto origin.

Selling your crypto before being certain the purchase will complete is an unnecessary tax risk. By keeping your assets in escrow until signing, you stay in control: no early conversion, no tax if it falls through, and your funds are available at the right moment.