Notary Fees
In general
So called « Notary’s fees » cover all the costs involved in preparing, drafting, executing and regularizing a notarial deed.
They comprise the following four items:
Emoluments (and fees)
These are the notary’s remuneration for services rendered as a public official. Emoluments are strictly regulated by law, and are calculated in Geneva on the basis of the tariff of emoluments and disbursements issued by the Conseil d’Etat. Fees vary according to the nature of the deed. They may be calculated on a proportional basis (according to the economic value of the transaction) or on a flat-rate basis, with minimum or maximum thresholds.
The notary is exceptionally authorized to charge fees in addition to his emoluments if the specific nature of the case so requires, or if he has been commissioned to services ancillary to the deed, in the same way as another professional (for example, to draw up a legal opinion). In such cases, fees are set according to a predetermined hourly rate, weighted to take account of the particularities of the case (importance, difficulty, responsibility, outcome).
Taxes
These are the sums that the notary is required to collect, under his responsibility, in the name and on behalf of the State, to be paid in full to the tax authorities. They include all taxes and duties payable by the customer in respect of the transaction in question, in particular transfer, inheritance and gift taxes, as well as taxes on property gains and value-added tax (VAT).
Disbursements
These are fees that the notary advances to third parties on behalf of the customer. They include, in particular, Land Registry fees, Commercial Registry fees, Court fees and other administrative fees (Greffe, Chancellerie, Consulats, etc.).
Miscellaneous expenses
Miscellaneous expenses cover the costs involved in setting up, managing and monitoring the administrative aspects of the file. They cover the ongoing costs that are essential for processing the case, such as IT and telecommunications costs (telephone calls, e-mails, postage, subscriptions, etc.), reprography costs (simple copies, royalties, etc.), document archiving and digitization costs, and fees for third parties involved in file preparation (couriers, researchers, etc.). In order to keep costs under control, these costs are generally lump-sum-based, so as to avoid any additional costs for the customer and guarantee predictable invoicing.