«"Alexis, I've lived in Dakar for twelve years, I have a house and a company here. My children are in France. I'm told that my inheritance will be a nightmare. Is that true?"»
Senegal had 19,966 French citizens registered with the consular register as of December 31, 2025, compared to 20,800 a year earlier. -4.01 % over one year. This is the 22nde French community in the world, and one of the few in clear decline among the top twenty-five.
The community is long-established and well-integrated: entrepreneurs, professionals, executives of regional groups, and retirees. Many own real estate and a local company, while maintaining family ties in France. The typical case, therefore, is not that of a mission, but rather that of a wealth actually distributed between two countries.
And no, inheritance is not a nightmare: it's quite the opposite. The convention of March 29, 1974 covers income tax, inheritance tax, registration fees and stamp duties. Few destinations outside Europe offer such a comprehensive setting. Balmont Conseil, We start from this text.
1. Why seek expertise in wealth management In Senegal?
Four realities, in the order in which they serve the case.
- A complete chapter on inheritance. Articles 27 to 34 A allocate the right to tax property by property. This is a rare point of leverage for an African destination, and it changes the way a transfer is prepared.
- A clear rule of attachment for the rest. Article 32 allocates assets not covered by the preceding articles solely to the state of the deceased's domicile. For primarily financial assets, this rule prevents fragmentation.
- Mutual assistance in debt recovery. Articles 38 to 40 govern the reciprocal collection of the taxes in question. The practical consequence is immediate: the deferral of exit tax 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 convention itself and in the annexes of the tax administration as of September 16, 2026.
| French registered in the register | 19,966 as of December 31, 2025 (−4.01 % over one year). |
| Income Convention | Yes — convention of 29 March 1974, amended by the addenda of 16 July 1984 and 10 January 1991, and subsequently by the BEPS multilateral convention. Its title refers to income taxes, inheritance taxes, registration duties and stamp duties. |
| Convention on Successions | Yes — the same convention includes a chapter on successions (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 payment deferral. Senegal has with France an information exchange clause and an assistance in recovery clause, recognized for all taxes, including inheritance tax. |
| 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 chapter on succession is what distinguishes Senegal. Of the four destinations included in the study, only two have it—Senegal and Tunisia. Brazil and Mexico have none. For a family whose assets are divided between Dakar and France, this difference dictates the cost estimate.
The details of the connections are worth reading. Real estate is taxed according to its location (Article 28), business assets according to their establishment (Articles 29 and 30), and tangible personal property according to its location at the time of death—boats and aircraft being an exception, taxable in the State of registration (Article 31). The remainder falls under the State of the deceased's domicile (Article 32).
The agreement does not exempt you from looking at article 750 ter of the general tax code. Its third provision makes all assets received by an heir domiciled in France for at least six of the last ten years taxable in France. The convention redistributes and corrects this; it does not override domestic law.
What we don't display. The details of Senegalese domestic tax law—income tax rates, local inheritance taxes, reporting requirements—are not included in this table: we have not verified them in a current primary source. This information should be addressed with an authorized advisor in Senegal, whom we coordinate.
3. Our services: 360° support for expatriates and investors
Three projects, for a truly distributed wealth.
The transmission, under the 1974 convention
We apply the convention item by item: real estate, business assets, tangible personal property, then the rule of assigning other assets to the state of the deceased's domicile. Each asset category is assigned its tax jurisdiction before any calculation.
We then cross-reference this with Article 750 ter of the French General Tax Code, based on each heir's residence, and calculate the net tax liability. For a family split between Dakar and France, this calculation reveals some surprises in both directions.
- Mapping of assets by conventional category.
- Application of Article 32 to financial assets and social rights.
- Net figures, heir by heir, according to their actual residence.
Senegalese society and its exit
Many of our contacts own a local company, often the main asset of their Senegalese wealth. Its sale, transfer, and valuation are governed by separate articles of the convention, and the permanent establishment plays a role that domestic law does not address.
We prepare for the exit before it even occurs: the form of the transfer, the fate of the operating real estate, and its integration with wealth engineering On the French side, an impromptu sale costs more than one prepared two years in advance.
French wealth and retirement
Your income and assets from French sources remain subject to French law: minimum rate for non-residents under Article 197 A of the General Tax Code, option for the average rate when it is more favorable, real estate wealth tax, social security contributions 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 the fate of your existing contracts.
4. Methodology: our way of working
We work in four stages, and you know where you are at each stage.
- The initial assessment. We assess your actual situation: composition of assets, project timeline, situation of each member of the household, and tax domicile of your heirs — because it is theirs that dictates, not yours.
- The applicable reference framework. We establish, source by source and with its date, the framework that concerns you. What we do not know, we write "to be confirmed" — never anything else.
- The arbitrations. We present you with the numerical options, along with their respective consequences, and you decide. Wealth structuring comes after the decision, not before.
- The follow-up. An annual review, offered free of charge, which verifies that the framework has not changed — the conventions are modified, the attractiveness schemes are eliminated, the thresholds change.
5. What the firm offers you
This is what specifically distinguishes our intervention.
- Sources, not claims. Each item in your file has its reference number and date. You can check. This is the only way to work on a subject where most of the information available online is outdated.
- A single point of contact in France. We coordinate with your local advisors, we do not replace them: the internal tax regulations of the host country are handled by a qualified professional on site. Our role is to maintain overall consistency and to defend the French side of the case.
- Fees that are easy to understand. Firm fees: €500 including VAT per hour. Annual follow-up is included. No hidden kickbacks, no performance-based billing.
Frequently Asked Questions in Senegal
Is there an inheritance treaty between France and Senegal?
Yes. The convention of March 29, 1974, as its title indicates, deals with income taxes, inheritance taxes, registration fees, and stamp duties. Its chapter on inheritance runs from Articles 27 to 34 A.
This is a significantly more favorable situation than that of the majority of destinations outside Europe, where no convention governs transmissions.
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 majority of financial assets and prevents fragmentation. It does not prejudge the application of Article 750 ter of the General Tax Code according to the domicile of your heirs: it is the combination of the two that must be calculated.
Is the deferral of payment of the exit tax automatic for Senegal?
Yes. Senegal has with France an information exchange clause and an assistance in recovery clause, which the BOI-ANNX-000508 annex updated on October 8, 2025 recognizes 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 convention is unconditional: pensions and life annuities are taxable only in the contracting state where the beneficiary has his tax domicile.
However, this residence must be established within the meaning of the convention and the domestic law of both states. This is the first point we document for a retirement application.
And what about my furniture, my boat, my belongings that were left behind?
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 rental income and capital gains. The partial exemption applies only to those affiliated with 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 convention that regulates income, inheritance and assistance in recovery, and a deferral of exit tax by right.
This coverage does not deploy automatically. It requires that each asset has been linked to its conventional category, and that the domicile of each heir has been established — before death, not after.
Firm's fees: €500 including VAT per hour. Annual follow-up is offered.
Let's review your situation
A thirty-minute exchange is all it takes to categorize your assets correctly under the convention and calculate the net estate tax liability. You can also start with a Free X-ray of your contracts.
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