The French still look miserable. It's not just the weather either. The dreaded annual 'declaration des revenues' is at hand. If you're brave enough to declare by internet, the date looming is the 19th. It's not just the man in the street either. Just look at the government - running scared already. The French Minister whose brief was 'to prevent tax evasion' has been found out himself. Yes, M. Cahuzac had his own fraudulent Swiss bank account. And even President Hollande, for all his tongue-lashing at his colleague, is no knight in shining armour. Despite his advocating marriage for all, why do you think he's never married his live-in girlfriend Valerie Trierweiler? Could it be because, as she is from a family of bankers, if she married him they would be liable for a great deal of ISF wealth tax at 75%? Hollande is even being sued by a M. Kemlin for allowing his 'mistress' to enjoy tax-funded accommodation, food, staff and chauffeurs at the Elysee Palace - illegal because she is not married to him. Even rich celebrities like Depardieu, Maradona and Madonna have been frightened away from living in France. Some would say good!
Him indoors has always said the world's bent. Everyone's out for themselves, politicians especially, and anything's possible as long as you don't get found out.
Showing posts with label French tax. Show all posts
Showing posts with label French tax. Show all posts
16 August 2009
Full summer in the Tarn et Garonne. Temperature: 37 degrees and rising. Pool: like chicken soup. Tourists everywhere: mainly Brits and Dutch. You can tell the Dutch: taller, thinner versions of the Brits, but they don't spend any money, they arrive in caravans, and even though they're entering the land of le bien manger, they bring their drink and sandwiches with them.
For those who are gite owners, there's the usual confusion over taxes. French bureaucracy rules O.K. 2 main types of tax: auto-entrepreneur and the micro system. Difference? Under the former, you have to pay mandatory 'social charges' (as do all French employees; it's like English N.I.) based on turnover, while for the latter tax is paid on profit after expenses. Apparently the crucial difference is if you are providing extra services (!), then it's deemed a business and you pay 21.3% social charges rate.
As someone who never understood tax laws even in the UK, don't ask me. Why do the authorities have to make things so difficult? Well, I'll tell you. It's the same on the roads. They love to instal as few kph road signs as possible, for long, long stretches of road, so that strangers never know the max speed limit. Then, as with the 'deliberate' tax obfuscation - someone in authority can enjoy schadenfreude and bonus points at catching as many 'criminals' as possible.Oh no, I fear the job's worth song 's here yet again:
Job's worth, job's worth
It's more than my job's worth
I don't care, rain or snow,
whatever you want, the answer's no
I can keep you waiting for ever in the queue
And if you don't like it, you know what you can do....
For those who are gite owners, there's the usual confusion over taxes. French bureaucracy rules O.K. 2 main types of tax: auto-entrepreneur and the micro system. Difference? Under the former, you have to pay mandatory 'social charges' (as do all French employees; it's like English N.I.) based on turnover, while for the latter tax is paid on profit after expenses. Apparently the crucial difference is if you are providing extra services (!), then it's deemed a business and you pay 21.3% social charges rate.
As someone who never understood tax laws even in the UK, don't ask me. Why do the authorities have to make things so difficult? Well, I'll tell you. It's the same on the roads. They love to instal as few kph road signs as possible, for long, long stretches of road, so that strangers never know the max speed limit. Then, as with the 'deliberate' tax obfuscation - someone in authority can enjoy schadenfreude and bonus points at catching as many 'criminals' as possible.Oh no, I fear the job's worth song 's here yet again:
Job's worth, job's worth
It's more than my job's worth
I don't care, rain or snow,
whatever you want, the answer's no
I can keep you waiting for ever in the queue
And if you don't like it, you know what you can do....
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.
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.
6th September 2008
Woke up this morning to lowering skies and drenching rain. Made me think of starting a new venture: 'Noah's Cruiseline - pets welcome'. Things didn't improve when I saw that the Tresor Public had decided to send me the dreaded avis d'impots - stating how much tax is due to be paid to M. Sarkozy this year. I'm not used to this tax return business because I never had to complete one in the UK. I mean: how many noughts did the PM need to see? I understand that in the US everyone has to complete a tax return, and now I must get used to it as the system is pretty much the same here in France. As soon as the authorities discover that you're actually living in the country, there is nowhere to hide. You receive a form in March each year and that's when your troubles start as it's all written in French. It's difficult enough working it out in English, but I've discovered a cunning wheeze. If you state that your total income is less than the lowest rate published recently in the 'Connexion' newspaper, the autumn avis says the magic words: Vous n'etes pas imposable a l'impot; in other words, nothing to pay. Hooray! However, I don't think this state of affairs can last as on next year's form I can't avoid adding the amount of my UK state pension. Oh well. As him indoors always says when faced with our annual taxe fonciere - it's only 'fonce a year'.
P.S. Don't miss tomorrow's final, gripping instalment of Sex a la francaise.
P.S. Don't miss tomorrow's final, gripping instalment of Sex a la francaise.
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