CFE, taxes, and direct debits

Yep. we all have to pay our business taxes.
Yes, it must be paid by direct debit, and I presume the new laws say if you are an AE it must be taken from your specific AE account - to which the CFE has access…
BUT
surely they might be kind enough to let you know how much and on what date it will be taken?
what fun to have to watch your bank account every day just in case…
x t
(luckily i have Please Help to sort all this out for me - if I was in the UK I’d be asking the DD regulators for a refund!)

1 Like

Hi Teresa

Can you link in with impots.gouv.fr ?? I find the site is very useful and helps me keep tabs on finances.

Normally you have to authorise the payment via impots.gouv.fr for them to take it. Once authorised it will state the date it will go out on. All very easy to do.But from what you have written it rather sounds as though you may not have done this. I would imagine you are either running out of time to do so or have already done so. There is a calender of payment declaration and payment dates on the site. It is, as you would expect, not up to them to chase you.

thanks Stella…
my “bug” is that it’s me who needs to keep a check on it…
i’d much rather get a bill, see a time limit date and pay it.
x t

yep, thanks Rik. I know this - but i think they should still WRITE to me - the “old fashioned” way, or send an email if they want to be automated/online (which i MUCH prefer)
I just don’t think they should have the mountains of paper, alps of forms, hills of stamps and then just take out via online banking a random sum, on a random date without sending at least an automated “hey stupid, we’re taking the money” type email !!!

Ah… yes, going paperless does take some getting used to doesn’t it.

I mark payments in my diary (about 7 days ahead) …so I can ensure there is always sufficient in the account for when they are due. Now that bills are not received by post, I have to keep the diary beside the computer to note from the incoming emails. As some mails go into spam (heaven knows why) I am kept on my toes…:slight_smile:

Re CFE, I just checked - I had the email telling me the bill was online on 4 November at 14h07, I happened to be at the computer when it arrived so I went straight onto my account and clicked the link to authorise payment immediately and I got another email timed 14:13 confirming the payment. And the payment went out of my bank account on 15 Dec as expected.
Your post is worrying Teresa because it sounds as if you haven’t set up a payment, otherwise you would know how much and when?
And you can print the bill off if you prefer to have pieces of paper in a file.

It just occurred to me that of course there is the prélèvement à l’échéance option where they do automatically take the money from your account when the bill is due, maybe that is what you chose. I never choose that one because as you say, I like to keep control. If you have chosen prélèvement à l’echéance and you don’t like it for that reason, I’m sure you could change to a different option.

In any case you can keep track of the due dates here
http://www.impots.gouv.fr/professionnel/calendrier-fiscal
and you can always look online to see the amount of the bill before the payment is taken.

EDIT - just re-read the thread - sounds as if maybe your problem is that you have a third party involved rather than dealing directly with the fisc yourself, hence you not being in step…

I too hate this French beaurocrat’s right to take money from my bank account.
I did not have time to set up ‘my personal space’ in order to pay the CFE, nor did I want to give them a Direct Debit, so when they wrote to me to remind me to set up my space, I simply wrote out a cheque and sent it along with their letter to les Impots. I have heard nothing back - but they have cashed the cheque. I am happy to pay my taxes, but will do all I can to prevent this steady push to force everyone to do everything on line. Not that I am a luddite, I love my computer - but I am all for choice and retaining what little privacy and freedoms we have.
regards
geoff

I really don’t get that. It has to be paid, so surely the more efficiently it’s dealt with, the better for you and for them. Setting up your espace pro doesn’t give anyone the automatic right to take money from your bank account, it simply gives you better access to information and services and more control over your account. They still provide an invoice and invite you to pay, and you still have the freedom and choice as to whether you make a one-off payment, or set up a regular payment, or pay by instalments, and which bank account you use. Honestly, I think that if you try it you’ll see that it makes things easier.

1 Like

I love the freedom to be able to pay all my bills simply and efficiently from the comfort of my own home. In the past I have used direct debits in in the U.K. and Germany to simplify my life and can’t see how by doing the same in France is giving any bureaucrat the right to do anything other to take my money as and when it is due.

Hi Teresa,

You mention that ¨if you are an AE it must be taken from your specific AE account¨, can you confirm that please? Because I have read on another thread (I must look for it), that the CFE tax should not be charged to the AE account as we don’t charge VAT and are not deducting any professional expensed from our taxes. Which would mean that in fact nothing should be charged to the business account, apart from our withdrawals.

Thanks - John :smile:

I’m not Teresa :wink: but in the meanwhile - I don’t think it’s a deal breaker which account you pay your CFE out of, just so long as you pay it. The way I look at it, it’s a professional transaction as distinct from a personal transaction, so it’s more appropriate to pay it from my business account. So I have linked my business account to my espace pro and my personal account to my espace particulier.
In point of fact, I have a feeling that the requirement for AEs to have a dedicated bank account has been quietly dropped, could be wrong on that but I think I read it somewhere. I find it simpler to have one.
Not sure what VAT has to do with CFE.

well said Anna… I have absolutely no idea about anything so please don’t
rely on my advice! but i do know that you WERE supposed to have a separate
bank account for your AE business. I supposed it was so you could easily
separate your “work” income and pay your AE tax based very simply as a
percentage on earnings with NO deductions. “VAT” (or the equivalent) is
irrelevant. To me it seemed sensible to pay any “work” bills from this
account too. I quite like it to be separate…
but honestly - i’m starting the year in an “i don’t give a fig” mode… i
think finally after five years in France the joy of doing everything by the
book and then ripping it up and using it to light the fire has finally sunk
in…
courage x t

K&J
no idea! but i do know there are no deductions possible on AE earnings -
that’s why tax is so low (!) and the system is so simple (cough)
I suggest you take professional advice, or do as the French and don’t worry
so much about it - as long as it’s paid
x t

On the issue of seperate business account for AE activity, I spoke to my personal account contact and explained that I thought I needed such an account. She said she would be happy for me to set one up as the bank would make more money, but assured me it was absolutely unnecessary. Banque Populaire this was.

CA charges me 60 cents a month for a second account. Well worth it in my view because I find it makes it so much easier to manage the finances.