Qualifying as first time buyer status if wife has shares in a French SC (société commerciale)

[AGoodman]

Then it's probably quite simple: your wife does not have any interest in the property. She has an interest in shares in a company that owns the property. That is a very different thing.

[Franglish]

Thank you so much for all your help. I have spoken to someone at HRMC this morning and although they initially said we will qualify for higher stamp duty rate, when I insisted on the fact that she had interest in shares and not the property, they advised me to write to a specialist team as they understood that this was quite contentious. It’s a bit frustrating as it can only be done by post and takes a minimum of 40 days but fingers crossed…
Even if the decision doesn’t go in our favour, I am very grateful for the fact that you have taken the time to help me.
Kind regards,
Philip.

[AGoodman]

Yes, I think the key point remains that your wife doesn't have an interest in a property. Full stop. The usufruct is a red herring as she doesn't personally hold the usufruct or the bare title. I don't think you even need mention it because it just confuses the people you have spoken to.