French court reinstates €22.5 million tax bill for LVMH boss Bernard Arnault and his wife

The ruling

A decision dated 2 July 2026 by the Paris administrative court of appeal imposes a tax adjustment of close to 22.5 million euros on Bernard Arnault, chairman of luxury giant LVMH, and his wife. The sum breaks down into 12.96 million euros in additional income tax and social contributions for the year 2010, and 9.5 million euros for the solidarity tax on wealth (ISF) covering the period 2012 to 2015.

The structure at issue

The case revolves around the complex ownership chain of LVMH. The Arnault family does not hold shares directly but through a cascade of holding companies.

The Arnault family is not directly present in the luxury group's capital, but through a cascade of holding companies. At the top of this pyramid is a Belgian company, Pilinvest.

That Belgian entity, according to the media outlet that first reported the court decision, allows France's richest person to reduce his tax declaration.

Legal back-and-forth

In December 2020, the Paris administrative tribunal had granted the couple's request for a discharge of the additional income tax contributions and restitution of the wealth tax for 2012–2015. The Minister of Economy and Finance then appealed in November 2023, asking the administrative court of appeal to annul that judgment. The 2 July 2026 ruling now puts the full 22.5 million euros back on the couple's account.

What comes next

Bernard Arnault, described in the French press as the country's largest fortune, and his wife can still lodge an appeal before the Council of State, France's highest administrative court. LVMH had not issued a comment by Saturday afternoon.