18th January 2009

Like many British expats in France, I have been looking to supplement my dwindling pension due to the ever-continuing exchange rate crisis. Although a former administrator, I knew that however improved my skills in the French language, I would never be able to hold my own in a French office - it's the phone that's the killer.
Some time ago I wrote about my discovery of job bidding by the internet. To date, following my success with peopleperhour.com, I can report that this is a marvellous way to earn income supplements. All from my own computer I can send my creative articles, my own invoice and receive monies directly into my French bank account. Now that's my kind of job - all without leaving the house.
But, of course, this raises the question of French income tax. So, I was interested to read that easier ways of starting mini-enterprises like mine were introduced this month in France. The new auto-entrepreneurs system means you do not need to be formally registered on the registre du commerce (saving a fee and much bureaucracy), but you can apply on-line at www.cfenet.cci.fr (you can also subsequently close the business there too). Declarations and payments can also be managed on-line via http://www.lautoentrepreneur.com/. You also have 3-years exoneration from taxe professionnelle. For the thousands of Brits who run gites, the government has decided that the status is not obligatory for those not already formally registered on the registre du commerce. At present, it is only obligatory if your turnover is more than 32,000 euros p.a. Fat chance!
Of course, nothing comes easy, but what I like about it is that if you earn nothing, you pay nothing., unlike some other business regimes.