{"id":12903,"date":"2026-09-08T18:06:44","date_gmt":"2026-09-08T16:06:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/consultoriaehero.com\/?p=12903"},"modified":"2026-09-08T18:26:20","modified_gmt":"2026-09-08T16:26:20","slug":"vat-in-france","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/consultoriaehero.com\/en\/vat-in-france\/","title":{"rendered":"VAT in France in 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

France is the European Union country with the most VAT rates<\/strong>: four. The standard rate is 20 %<\/strong>, and below it there is an intermediate rate of 10 %<\/strong>, a reduced rate of 5.5 %<\/strong>, and a special rate of 2.1 %<\/strong>. That means that in France product classification matters more than anywhere else: the same catalog error that costs you eleven points in Spain can cost you eighteen here.<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Type<\/th>\nPercentage<\/th>\nApplies to<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Standard (taux normal)<\/span><\/td>\n20 %<\/strong><\/td>\nDefault regime for goods and services<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Intermediate (taux interm\u00e9diaire)<\/span><\/td>\n10 %<\/strong><\/td>\nAmong others, non-reimbursable human-use medicines<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Reduced (taux r\u00e9duit)<\/span><\/td>\n5.5 %<\/strong><\/td>\nAmong others, contraceptives and feminine hygiene products<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Special (taux particulier)<\/span><\/td>\n2.1 %<\/strong><\/td>\nReimbursable medicines, blood products, and certain medical devices<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Overseas departments<\/td>\n8.5 %<\/strong><\/td>\nGuadeloupe, Martinique, and R\u00e9union, for cosmetics, hygiene products, and veterinary medicines<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/figure>\n

Rates verified on September 8, 2026 against the official French Administration information sheet (entreprendre.service-public.gouv.fr<\/a>).<\/em><\/p>\n

The French peculiarity: four rates and no room for error<\/h2>\n

With four brackets, the difference between getting a product classification right or wrong in France is up to 17.9 percentage points<\/strong>. In a store with a mixed catalog \u2014 food, health, books, accessories \u2014 that is not solved by setting one rate per country: you have to assign the rate product by product.<\/p>\n

And there is a second layer that almost nobody considers: the overseas departments have their own regime<\/strong>. Guadeloupe, Martinique, and R\u00e9union apply 8.5 % in categories where mainland France would apply 20 %. If you ship there using the mainland rate, you are overcharging.<\/p>\n

Which VAT should you apply when selling from Spain<\/h2>\n

This is the part that does not appear in any table and is usually the real question. The rate you charge does not depend only on France, but on how much you sell outside Spain:<\/p>\n