Hello
Bit early for this but it is worrying me. This year I have to complete 2 tax returns as my husband died in Sept. He always did it for past 25 years. Online for last few. The prospect is terrifying me! It all looks very complicated indeed. How, for example do you know what exchange rate to use? Do most people do it themselves or use an accountant? Should I try and get a rendezvous at the taw office to get som advice? It’s like a big black cloud looming. I have all the input worked out ….in sterling but it’s a very complicated format compared to my uk self assessment return. Any advice would be most welcome. Can I request to do a paper return perhaps. Thanks in advance
I’m so sorry you are in this position. However although it sounds daunting it should be ok to work through. You do two returns, on for the part of the year when there were two of you, and then the other for the rest of the year.
You could send also phone, or message to your taxe office asking for an appointment to show you how to do this. Presumably they already know that he has died? So may automatically load up two returns.
You still have nearly 3 months so plenty of time to ask questions and get it right. And if your affairs are straighforward you basically ignore much of the forms.
Here is the tax office guidance
So sorry to hear your sad news…
Re Tax Return… yes, a visit to your Tax Office asap and discuss with them,
and if you cannot cope with “on-line”, you can ask for the Paper Declaration… and they’ll talk you through that.
It would be marvellous if you have the basic figures ready for the 2 Declarations which Jane mentions, so go armed with all the information you can…
Most importantly… don’t panic … all will be well… 
Best of luck.
Last year I did mine online for the very first time as have always had the paper forms filled in already, just usually to confirm correct, sign and send back. Online was a bit daunting but I don’t have much to fill in and then two weeks later a paper one arrived so I checked their figures for the amounts they had from french sources and sent that back too. I always photocopy for reference as well. I’m sure the OP will be fine, just keep a dictionary handy if the language is not your strong point so you know what you are filling in for.
I’m very sorry to hear about your husband Meggie.
If you really find you can’t manage the tax return yourself, an ex-colleague uses Fiscaly in Montignac and is happy with their service.
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Basically there are two ways of calculating exchange rates, both of which are acceptable.
- If you have detailed records of amounts and dates of transfers between currencies, you can look up the exchange rate for the day of each transaction and make lots of individual calculations.
- Alternatively, you can use the average exchange rate for the year in question for all the transactions lumped together. According to Exchange Rates Org UK the average rate for 2024 is £1 = €1.1811
Hope this helps.
I can totally understand, and relate to how daunting this must seem. A number of us have found this document (prepared some years back) very helpful in showing visually the steps necessary to file an online return. Whilst details inevitably change over time, the substance remains pretty much the same today, albeit it assumes that a full year return is being prepared, rather than two part years returns as in your case.
Best of luck.
Just remembered someone on this forum recommended James at ARCPOD.
Presumably you’d need to contact him now, though, because I think he’ll be very busy soon.
This is suddenly alarming me, I had no idea about 2 declarations, never did 2 before my wife died, is this something new?
I just assumed her death would be known, but not sure why.
I have never done two either apart from the seperate form for UK state pension for the first time last year. Does the OP mean the additional forms 2047 and/or 3916 regarding UK accounts and other UK incomes?
It’s not new. When one’s husband/wife dies the tax return for that year has to be done twice. One for the period before death and one for the rest of the year. Since tax is calculated by the number of “parts” or people in the household then it makes a difference if the household is one person or two.
However perhaps for households that don’t pay tax this is less of a concern for the fisc.
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Thanks Jane, but with all the guidance I received from the bank and the Notaire it never occurred to me that any other notifications were needed.
I’ll wait and see what happens when the online forms are made available.
Thanks Jane. Am going to tax office on Mon. To see what’s what. I already have all my figures worked and have completed my expected 2025 income in my espace as it will be greatly reduced. I hope they take it into consideration for prelevement à la source which is, I think , calculated on previous years income. Thanks for link. Will read and inwardly digest……hopefully
Regards
Megie
Thanks Stella. Going up to tax office Mon. I have all the figures already for last year. Plus mine for 2025. Will probably seem less daunting if I can speak to someone
Regards
Meggie
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Jane. So sorry to bother you again but you seem to be pretty clued up on stuff! One last question. I am updating my 2025 revenue in my espace but haven’t a clue on social charges. Spent most of today reading up on them. Head spinning. The bit I don’t understand is the question for revenus net RF avec crédit impôts (csg etc etc). My French is pretty good but some of this terminology floors me. Help
Regards
Meggie
I hope your tax office helps. I have found mine very helpful and understanding. Admit honestly that you are finding it hard, and ask for help, and I have found 90% of French civil servants will put themselves out to help you. For my first filing, my tax office actually ticked all the boxes I needed to fill, and then invited me back when I had finished the form to check that everything was in order.
Fingers crossed for you!
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I have a feeling HMRC would love that - and also fill in the numbers for you as a service exceptionnelle 
First time I met our tax inspector - he said “we are not your advisors” (or words to that effect)
Ummm… has the 2025 Tax Declaration time window actually started yet ?
Not yet. Another month nearly as timetable says 10 april
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and for those making a Paper Declaration… the forms to be completed will be dropping in the letter boxes “sometime during April”…