“Alexis, I've lived in Dakar for twelve years; I have a house and a company there. My children are in France. People tell me my estate will be a nightmare. Is that true?”
Senegal has 19,966 French nationals on the consular register as of 31 December 2025, compared with 20,800 a year earlier, or −4.01% in one year. It is the 22e largest French community in the world, and one of the few in clear decline among the top twenty-five.
The community is long-standing and settled: entrepreneurs, self-employed professionals, executives of regional groups, retirees. Many own property and a local company there, while keeping family ties in France. The typical file is therefore not that of a posting, but that of wealth actually distributed between two countries.
And no, the estate will not be a nightmare: quite the opposite. The treaty of 29 March 1974 covers income tax, estate taxes, registration duties and stamp duties. Few destinations outside Europe offer such a complete framework. At Balmont Conseil, we start from this text.
1. Why seek expert wealth management in Senegal?
Four realities, in the order in which they matter to your file.
- A complete chapter on inheritance. Articles 27 to 34 A allocate taxing rights asset by asset. This is a rare foothold for an African destination, and it changes the way an estate transfer is prepared.
- A clear connecting rule for everything else. Article 32 allocates the assets not covered by the preceding articles to the state of the deceased's domicile alone. For mainly financial wealth, this rule prevents fragmentation.
- Mutual assistance in tax collection. Articles 38 to 40 organise reciprocal collection of the taxes covered. The practical consequence is immediate: the exit tax deferral is automatic.
- Pensions are taxable only in the state of residence. Article 21 states this unequivocally, for both pensions and life annuities. For a retiree living in Dakar or Saly, this is the starting point for the calculation.
2. The France ↔ Senegal framework in five verified points
Here is the applicable framework, verified in the text of the treaty itself and in the tax authorities' annexes as at 16 September 2026.
| French nationals on the register | 19,966 as of 31 December 2025 (−4.01% in one year). |
| Income tax treaty | Yes — treaty of 29 March 1974, amended by the protocols of 16 July 1984 and 10 January 1991, then by the BEPS multilateral convention. Its title covers income taxes, estate taxes, registration duties and stamp duties. |
| Estate tax treaty | Yes — the same treaty contains a chapter on estates (Articles 27 to 34 A). Connecting rule: assets not covered by Articles 28 to 31 are subject to inheritance tax only in the state where the deceased was domiciled at the time of death (Article 32). |
| Exit tax — deferral of payment | Automatic deferral of payment. Senegal has both an exchange-of-information clause and a collection-assistance clause with France, recognised for all taxes, gift and inheritance duties included. |
| CSG and CRDS on property income and capital gains | 17.2%. The exemption from CSG and CRDS applies to members of a social security scheme in the European Economic Area, Switzerland, or the United Kingdom. Senegal does not fall into any of these categories. |
The estate chapter is what sets Senegal apart. Of the four destinations examined at the same time as this one, only two have one — Senegal and Tunisia. Brazil and Mexico have nothing. For a family whose wealth is split between Dakar and France, this difference drives the figures.
The detail of the connecting rules is worth reading. Real property follows its location (Article 28), business assets their establishment (Articles 29 and 30), tangible movable property the place where it is at death — boats and aircraft being the exception, taxable in the state of registration (Article 31). The rest goes to the state of the deceased's domicile (Article 32).
The convention takes precedence over article 750 ter of the general tax code. Its third provision would make taxable in France all assets received by an heir domiciled in France for at least six of the last ten years. The convention excludes this rule for assets it allocates to Senegal, even if the heir lives in France; Article 750 ter is now only used to calculate the rate applied to assets retained by France (Article 34 of the convention).
What we do not show. The detail of Senegalese domestic tax law — progressive income tax scale, local inheritance duties, reporting obligations — is not in this table: we have not verified it in an up-to-date primary source. It is handled with a licensed adviser in Senegal, whom we coordinate.
3. Our services: 360° support for expatriates and investors
Three workstreams, for wealth that is genuinely split.
Estate transfer under the 1974 treaty
We apply the treaty article by article: real property, business assets, tangible movable property, then the rule allocating other assets to the state of the deceased's domicile. Each asset category finds its taxing state before any calculation.
We then cross-check this against Article 750 ter of the French Tax Code according to each heir's domicile, and calculate the net tax burden. For a family split between Dakar and France, this calculation holds surprises in both directions.
- Mapping of assets by treaty category.
- Application of Article 32 to financial assets and company shares.
- Net figures, heir by heir, according to their actual domicile.
The Senegalese company and its exit
Many of the people we advise own a local company, often the main asset of their Senegalese wealth. Its sale, transfer and valuation fall under separate articles of the treaty, and the permanent establishment plays a role there that domestic law does not spell out.
We work on the exit before it arises: form of the sale, what happens to the operating property, how it fits with wealth engineering on the French side. An improvised sale costs more than one prepared two years ahead.
French wealth and retirement
Your French-source income and assets remain subject to French law: minimum non-resident rate under Article 197 A of the French Tax Code, option for the average rate when it is more favourable, real estate wealth tax, social charges at the full rate of 17.2%.
Your pensions, however, are only taxable in the state of your tax residence, in accordance with Article 21. For a retiree, this is the first parameter in the calculation, and it is combined with the overall architecture of your wealth and what happens to your existing contracts.
4. Methodology: our way of working
We work in four stages, and at each stage you know where you stand.
- The initial review. We establish your actual situation: the make-up of your wealth, the project timeline, the situation of each member of the household, and the tax domicile of your heirs — because it is theirs that counts, not yours.
- The applicable framework. We set out, source by source and with its date, the framework that applies to you. What we do not know, we mark “to be confirmed” — never anything else.
- The choices. We present the options with figures and their respective consequences, and you decide. Wealth structuring comes after the decision, not before.
- Ongoing monitoring. An annual review, free of charge, to check that the framework has not moved — treaties are amended, incentive regimes are abolished, thresholds change.
5. What the firm offers you
What concretely sets our work apart.
- Sources, not claims. Every item in your file carries its reference and its date. You can check. It is the only way to work on a subject where most of the information available online is out of date.
- A single point of contact in France. We coordinate your local advisers; we do not replace them: the host country's domestic tax rules are handled with a qualified professional on the ground. Our role is to keep the whole picture consistent and to defend the French side of the file.
- Fees that are easy to understand. Fees disclosed before any commitment: fixed-price reviews, tailor-made engagements at €500 incl. VAT per hour, insurers' commissions on contracts taken out. The annual review is free of charge.
Frequently asked questions — Senegal
Is there an estate tax treaty between France and Senegal?
Yes. The treaty of 29 March 1974 covers, according to its very title, income taxes, estate taxes, registration duties and stamp duties. Its estate chapter runs from Article 27 to Article 34 A.
This is a far more favourable position than that of most destinations outside Europe, where no treaty governs estates.
How are my financial assets treated upon my death?
Article 32 provides that the assets of the estate to which Articles 28 to 31 do not apply are subject to inheritance tax only in the State where the deceased was domiciled at the time of death.
This rule covers the vast majority of financial assets and prevents fragmentation. It applies even if your heirs live in France: Article 750 ter of the French General Tax Code is then only used to calculate the rate applied to assets held by France (Article 34 of the Convention).
Is the deferral of payment of exit tax automatic for a move to Senegal?
Yes. Senegal has both an exchange-of-information clause and a collection-assistance clause with France, which annex BOI-ANNX-000508, updated on 8 October 2025, recognises for all taxes.
The deferment is therefore automatic: no tax representative or guarantees are required. However, the reporting obligations remain.
Will my French pension be taxed in France or in Senegal?
Article 21 of the treaty is unequivocal: pensions and life annuities are taxable only in the contracting state where the beneficiary has their tax domicile.
This domicile must still be established within the meaning of the treaty and of the domestic law of both states. It is the first point we document for a retirement file.
And my furniture, my boat, my belongings left there?
Article 31 assigns tangible personal property — furniture, linen, objects and art collections — to the State where it is actually located on the date of death.
Boats and aircraft are an exception: they are only taxable in the state where they are registered. This detail has concrete consequences for assets that include a boat in Senegal.
Will I pay CSG on my French income?
Yes, at the full rate of 17.2% on your French-source property income and real estate capital gains. The partial exemption applies only to people covered by a scheme in the European Economic Area, Switzerland or the United Kingdom.
On a property rented in France, this item weighs more heavily than income tax itself.
In summary
Of the four destinations examined this week, Senegal is the best covered: a treaty that governs income, estates and collection assistance, and an exit tax deferral as of right.
This coverage does not apply by itself. It requires each asset to have been assigned to its treaty category, and each heir's domicile to have been established — before death, not after.
Firm's fees: €500 incl. VAT per hour. Annual follow-up is free of charge.
Let's review your situation
A thirty-minute conversation is enough to assign your assets to the right treaty categories and calculate the net inheritance tax burden. You can also start with a free contract X-ray.
Other destinations
United States · Canada · Germany · Israel · Morocco · Algeria · Netherlands · Australia · Lebanon · Côte d'Ivoire · Ireland · Greece · Monaco · Andorra · Cyprus · Jordan · Brazil · Mexico · Tunisia — or return to all of our expatriation destinations.
