Capital gains tax · Monaco
Speak to a capital gains tax lawyer in Monaco before you sell or transfer
Monaco levies no personal income tax on individuals, but that headline rarely answers a whole file. Whether a disposal concerns you turns on your residence, your nationality and the treaty position that applies. Describe your situation and we will match you with a lawyer who handles this work in the Principality.
- Residence, nationality and the 1963 France–Monaco convention all shape the analysis
- Matched with an avocat or avocat-défenseur, depending on what your file needs
- Free to use, no obligation, first reply typically within 24–48 hours
No charge for matching and no obligation to instruct anyone.
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Why this page
Capital gains questions in the Principality
If you are selling a property, disposing of shares or reorganising assets connected to Monaco, you may want a capital gains tax lawyer in Monaco to tell you where you stand before you sign. The Principality does not levy personal income tax on individuals, but that general position is a starting point rather than an answer: French nationals are governed by the 1963 bilateral tax convention between France and Monaco, and the treatment of a disposal can turn on residence, nationality and the nature of the asset. Monegasque lawyers work in French, the Bar separates advisory avocats from avocat-défenseurs with rights of audience, and fees are agreed directly with the client. Tell us about your transaction and we will match you with a lawyer who handles this kind of work.
Local framework
How a capital gains question is handled in Monaco
Monaco is a small jurisdiction with its own Bar, its own courts and French as its working language, so the practical route from question to advice is different from that of a large neighbouring state. The points below set out the verified framework you will be working within.
Two categories of lawyer
The Monegasque Bar distinguishes the avocat-défenseur, who is entitled to plead and represent clients before all the courts and tribunals of the Principality, from the avocat and avocat-stagiaire, who advise and assist clients without rights of audience. Admission follows an entry examination overseen by the Council of the Bar (Conseil de l’Ordre) and enrolment on the Bar roll.
The tax starting point
Monegasque nationals and residents of the Principality are not liable for personal income tax. That is the background against which a disposal connected to Monaco has to be read, but it is a starting point rather than a conclusion: the position of a given taxpayer depends on personal circumstances, so the general rule should be checked against your own file before any commitment is made.
French nationals and the 1963 convention
The exception to the general position is nationality-based. French nationals are governed by the 1963 bilateral tax convention between France and Monaco, so residence in the Principality does not by itself settle how a gain is treated for them. Where a file involves French nationality, the convention needs to be read alongside the transaction rather than after it.
French is the working language
French is the official language of the State and the language in which the courts and tribunals of the Principality operate. Contracts, correspondence with the authorities and any pleadings will be drafted in French, and documents originating abroad may need translation. When you instruct a lawyer here, ask at the outset how material written in another language will be handled.
Costs, legal aid and fee agreements
Lawyers’ fees are freely agreed between the lawyer and the client, so the scope of work and the basis of charging should be recorded in writing at the start. Legal aid (assistance judiciaire) exists for persons whose income falls below a threshold fixed by sovereign ordinance and covers the services of an avocat-défenseur and an avocat, as well as ministerial officers.
Time limits and the courts
Civil and commercial claims in Monaco are generally subject to a five-year limitation period running from the day the holder of the right knew or ought to have known the relevant facts. Appeals to the Court of Appeal must be lodged within 30 days of service of the judgment unless the law provides otherwise. Timing is worth raising with your lawyer at the first meeting.
Country information on this page is drawn from official Monegasque sources — the Bar, the Government’s justice and tax pages and the LegiMonaco database — consulted in June 2025.
- Ordre des Avocats-Défenseurs, Avocats et Avocats-Stagiaires de la Principauté de Monaco
- Monaco Service Public — Tax in Monaco
- LegiMonaco — Constitution of 17 December 1962
- Government of Monaco — Legal aid
- Government of Monaco — The Court of Appeal
- Government of Monaco — The Court of Revision
- LegiMonaco — Law No. 1.401 of 5 December 2013 (limitation periods)
- LegiMonaco — Code of Criminal Procedure
- LegiMonaco — Law No. 729 of 16 March 1963 on employment contracts
- LegiMonaco — Civil Code (reserved share in succession)
Common situations
What usually brings people to this page
Three situations we see repeatedly when a disposal or transfer touches Monaco.
The headline rule may not cover you
You have read that Monaco does not tax individuals’ income, but you hold French nationality or assets abroad and cannot tell whether that general position reaches your disposal or whether a different framework applies to you.
One file, several countries
The asset, the buyer, the bank and the family sit in different jurisdictions. You need someone who can read the treaty position and the Monegasque paperwork together, rather than advise on one fragment in isolation.
Deadlines nobody mentioned
Civil and commercial claims in Monaco generally prescribe five years after you knew or ought to have known the facts, and appeal windows are short. Waiting for the other side to move first is rarely a plan.
How we help
Matched with the right Monegasque practice
We do not advise you ourselves. We identify the lawyer whose practice fits your question and put you in contact.
Lawyers admitted in the Principality
Practising before the Monegasque courts requires enrolment on the Bar roll, and the profession is split between avocat-défenseur and avocat. We match you with a lawyer whose category fits whether your matter is advisory or contentious.
Tax read alongside succession
A transfer of wealth in Monaco is not only a tax question: Monegasque succession law reserves a share of the estate for certain heirs, which limits what may be freely disposed of. The lawyer can read the disposal and the inheritance position together.
Fees agreed before work starts
Monegasque lawyers’ fees are freely agreed between lawyer and client, and legal aid is available below an income threshold fixed by sovereign ordinance. Ask for the scope and charging basis in writing, and raise legal aid early if it may apply.
A short, clear first step
You send a summary of the facts and the documents you already hold. We come back with a matched lawyer and a suggested next step, usually within 24–48 hours, and you decide whether to instruct.
Cross-border context
Clients also compare the position in these countries
Because a Monaco file often involves a second jurisdiction, clients frequently ask us about the following European countries as well.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to pay capital gains tax in Monaco?
Monaco does not levy personal income tax on Monegasque nationals or on residents of the Principality; the exception is French nationals, who are governed by the 1963 bilateral tax convention between France and Monaco. How that general position applies to a specific disposal depends on your nationality, your residence and the asset, which is why a capital gains tax lawyer in Monaco should read your file before you commit to anything.
What is the difference between an avocat-défenseur and an avocat?
The Monegasque Bar separates the two categories. The avocat-défenseur may plead and represent clients before all the courts and tribunals of the Principality, while the avocat and the avocat-stagiaire advise and assist clients without pleading before the courts. Transaction and tax work is largely advisory, but a dispute or an appeal requires a defence lawyer.
Will my documents have to be in French?
French is the official language of the State and the language in which the courts and tribunals of the Principality operate, so contracts, correspondence with the authorities and any pleadings will be drafted in French. If your documents originate abroad, ask at the first meeting how translations and certified copies will be organised.
How much will a lawyer in Monaco cost?
Fees are freely agreed between the lawyer and the client, so there is no single published rate and the scope of work should be agreed in writing at the start. Legal aid (assistance judiciaire) is available to persons whose income falls below a threshold fixed by sovereign ordinance and covers the services of an avocat-défenseur and an avocat, as well as ministerial officers.
How long do I have to bring a claim in Monaco?
Civil and commercial claims are generally subject to a five-year limitation period running from the day the holder of the right knew or ought to have known the facts enabling the right to be exercised. Other periods apply to particular matters, and appeals to the Court of Appeal must normally be lodged within 30 days of service of the judgment. Raise timing with your lawyer immediately.
Is the matching service really free?
Yes. You pay nothing to be matched: the cost to you is €0 and there is no obligation to instruct the lawyer we suggest. You describe the situation, we identify a practice that handles capital gains and tax work connected to Monaco, and the decision to proceed remains entirely yours.
Next step
Describe your disposal and get matched
Tell us what is being sold or transferred, where the asset sits, your nationality and your residence, and we will match you with a lawyer who handles capital gains questions connected to Monaco. It is free, it takes a few minutes, and you stay in control of what happens next.