How to Declare Stock Market Income in France (2026)

PEA, CTO, assurance-vie, Trade Republic, Revolut: each account type has its own French tax rules, and mixing them up can be costly. This guide tells you exactly what to declare, when to declare it, and how to avoid the most common mistakes in 2026.

What to declare by account type

The PEA: nothing until you withdraw

The PEA is a sealed tax wrapper. Everything that happens inside — purchases, internal sales, dividends received — is invisible to the French tax authority, year after year. You declare nothing as long as you make no withdrawal.

• Withdrawal after 5 years: gains are subject to 18.6% social charges only. You'll report this withdrawal in your tax return (specific section in form 2042-C).
• Withdrawal before 5 years: the PEA is closed, gains are taxed at 31.4% flat tax. Your broker will send you an IFU.

The CTO: declare every year

On a compte-titres ordinaire (standard brokerage account), every income received is taxable in the year it's earned, even without withdrawing cash:

• Dividends: typically withheld at source by your broker (they deduct the flat tax upfront), then reported via the IFU.
• Capital gains: every sale of an asset at a profit must be declared. Your broker summarizes everything in the IFU. The net result (gains minus losses for the year) is taxed at 31.4% flat tax.
• Capital losses: these can be carried forward for 10 years to offset future gains. Many investors forget to track and report these annually.

Assurance-vie: no declaration without a withdrawal

Like the PEA, internal movements in your assurance-vie don't need to be reported. However, if you make a redemption (partial or full):

• Contract under 8 years old: gains on the redemption are taxed at the 31.4% flat tax.
• Contract over 8 years old: gains benefit from an annual allowance of €4,600 (€9,200 for a couple), then are taxed at reduced rates (7.5% income tax for gains on contributions below €150,000) + 18.6% social charges.

Foreign broker accounts: the box you can't miss

If you invest through Trade Republic (Germany), Revolut (UK/Lithuania), Interactive Brokers, or any non-French institution, you must declare the account's existence every year, even if you earned nothing.

This is done via form 3916, available in your online tax return on impots.gouv.fr. Forgetting it carries a €1,500 fine per account (€10,000 if the country is non-cooperative). Investment income from these accounts is then declared normally via the IFU or equivalent tax document the broker provides.

The IFU: your key tax document

The IFU (Imprimé Fiscal Unique) is the annual tax summary your French broker sends you, typically between January and March. It details:

• Gross dividends received
• Net capital gains (gains minus losses for the year)
• Withholding taxes already deducted at source
• Carryforward losses

For French brokers (BoursoBank, Bourse Direct), the IFU data is often automatically imported into your pre-filled tax return on impots.gouv.fr. You just need to verify the amounts. For foreign brokers (Trade Republic), you receive an equivalent document that you enter manually.

Flat tax vs progressive scale: which to choose?

In France, you can choose between two tax regimes for investment income:

• PFU (flat tax, 31.4%): 12.8% income tax + 18.6% social charges on all investment income. The default regime. Simple, no calculation needed. The right choice if your marginal income tax rate is 30% or above.
• Progressive scale: you elect to have investment income taxed at your normal marginal income tax rate (0, 11, 30, 41, or 45%) + 18.6% social charges. This is only advantageous if you're non-taxable or in the 11% bracket, where your income tax rate on investment income (0 or 11%) is lower than the flat rate (12.8%).

Important: opting for the progressive scale applies to all your investment income for the year — dividends, capital gains, interest. You cannot mix and match the two regimes.

Steps on impots.gouv.fr

1. Log into impots.gouv.fr and go to "Déclarer mes revenus" (file my income tax return).
2. Select the 2042 C annex (investment income) if not already checked.
3. In the "Revenus de capitaux mobiliers" section, verify or enter amounts from your IFU: gross dividends, exempt income (PEA if applicable), upfront taxes already withheld.
4. In the "Plus-values et gains divers" section, enter your net gains and losses from securities sales (from the IFU). Carryforward losses from prior years go in their specific field.
5. If you hold foreign accounts, select form 3916 and declare each account (institution name, country, IBAN or account number).
6. If you opt for the progressive scale rather than flat tax, check the corresponding box in the investment income section.

Most common mistakes

• Forgetting form 3916 for foreign accounts (Trade Republic, Revolut). The fine is automatic and independent of any income earned.
• Not tracking capital losses: if you sold at a loss on a CTO, those losses can offset gains for the next 10 years. Many investors forget to report them every year and lose this benefit.
• Confusing PEA and CTO tax treatment: nothing to declare inside a PEA until you withdraw. On a CTO, every dividend and every capital gain from a sale must be declared in the year it occurs. See our PEA tax guide and CTO tax guide.
• Missing the assurance-vie allowance: if your contract is over 8 years old, you have a €4,600 annual allowance on gains (€9,200 for couples). If you don't make a withdrawal this year, you lose this allowance permanently for the year.
• Reporting PEA dividends: they don't exist fiscally as long as they stay inside the PEA. Declare nothing if there was no withdrawal.

Frequently asked questions