LMNP Tax Declaration in France 2026: Micro-BIC vs. Régime Réel Explained

LMNP vs LMP: which regime applies to you?

Before choosing between micro-BIC and régime réel, confirm that you fall under LMNP (Loueur Meublé Non Professionnel) rather than LMP (Loueur Meublé Professionnel). Two conditions define LMNP:

• Annual rental income below €23,000 across all furnished rentals combined, OR
• rental income representing less than 50% of the household's professional income.

In practice: Thomas earns €14,400/year from furnished rentals and €42,000/year in net salary. Both conditions are met — he is clearly LMNP.

If you breach both thresholds simultaneously (income > €23,000 AND > 50% of professional income), you become LMP. This status triggers social contributions on profits (SSI scheme or assimilated-employee regime), but also opens up the right to offset BIC deficits against global income and to partial capital-gains exemption under conditions. A specialist accountant is essential at that stage.

Micro-BIC vs régime réel — key figures

Both regimes sit within LMNP status. The choice comes down primarily to the ratio of actual expenses to rental income.

For Thomas, actual expenses (loan interest, property tax, management fees, insurance) total €5,800/year — 40% of income, close to the threshold. But building depreciation (estimated at €3,500/year) tips the scales: under régime réel his taxable result drops to zero, versus €7,200 taxable under micro-BIC.

The 2026 LMNP declaration calendar

Key dates for tax year 2025 (returns filed in 2026):

• 1 February 2026 — deadline to elect régime réel (or to opt out of it). The election goes to the business tax office (SIE) responsible for your property.
• April–June 2026 — filing of form 2042-C-PRO (micro-BIC) alongside your standard income tax return on impots.gouv.fr. The exact date varies by department.
• Second half of May 2026 — online filing of the régime réel tax package, form 2031. The precise deadline is published annually on impots.gouv.fr.
• Before 31 December 2025 — join a Centre de Gestion Agréé (CGA) to benefit from the tax credit on membership fees for the 2025 tax year.

Step-by-step — filing under micro-BIC

Micro-BIC is the simplest route: three steps are all it takes.

1. 1Retrieve total rents received for the year (excluding service charges billed separately). Add up every rent receipt issued between 1 January and 31 December 2025.
2. 2Open your return on impots.gouv.fr → form 2042-C-PRO → "BIC non-professional income" section → box 5ND (primary declarant) or 5NG (secondary declarant on a joint return).
3. 3Enter the gross rental total. The 50% flat allowance is calculated and applied automatically by the tax authority. No expense receipts are required.

Step-by-step — filing under régime réel

Régime réel demands more rigour, but the tax saving typically makes it worthwhile.

1. 1Keep BIC bookkeeping throughout the year: chronological recording of all income and expenses, with receipts retained. You can do this yourself with accounting software or outsource to an accountant or a CGA.
2. 2Draw up the depreciation schedule for the building, furniture, and acquisition costs. Buildings depreciate over 25–40 years, furniture over 5–10 years. This is usually handled by an accountant or CGA in year one and rolled forward each year thereafter.
3. 3File the tax package 2031 + annexes 2033 (2033-A to 2033-G) online on impots.gouv.fr before the May deadline. The package includes balance sheet, income statement, fixed-asset schedule, and depreciation table.
4. 4Carry forward the taxable result to form 2042-C-PRO, box 5NA (profit) or box 5NY (carry-forward deficit — not deductible from general income under LMNP). If depreciation fully offsets net rental income, report zero.

How FacturZen prepares your declaration

Whether you are on micro-BIC or régime réel, the first step of a smooth LMNP declaration is having all your rent receipts perfectly documented. FacturZen centralises every receipt (with exact dates and amounts), tracks the tax regime you have configured per property, and generates an end-of-year revenue summary — gross rents, charges collected, charge adjustments — formatted for export to your accountant or CGA.

No more hunting through scattered PDFs in your inbox before every tax deadline. See how FacturZen's property management software simplifies your day-to-day management and your annual tax preparation.

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Conclusion

The right regime depends above all on the ratio between your actual expenses and your rental income. If you have a mortgage or significant deductible costs, régime réel with depreciation wins almost every time. When in doubt, run the numbers both ways before 1 February — that is the one deadline you cannot afford to miss.