Sorry, I don’t understand the question.
This being a French forum I assumed we were discussing homes in France. Have I missed something?
My comment was intended to be at least partly tongue in cheek but looking again it probably doesn’t read that way. Didn’t mean to sound harsh.
Except it is relevant before that point - as in @Nelli’s situation where she has been a 2nd home owner but changed status before the TF and TdH bills were sent out - she needed them sent to her new primary residence in France, not her old address in the UK.
It’s a bit poor if the only point that you can tell the authorities you are now living permanently in France is in April or so when you file a tax return.
This is what I was trying to get at - perhaps it is not so much that “telling a fonctionnaire that there is any kind of change in one’s status does not automatically proceed any further than his/her ears” is true but that you need to tell the right fonctionnaire, in the right way, at the right time.
I’m guessing that for the online “change of address” thing to work you have to eithe be “in the system” or have a previous address that is “in the system”, does it work if you are moving to France and registering everythng for the 1st time?
That’s the key, I think.
I haven’t been in that situation but there must be a way for second home owners to amend a correspondence address. But as you say, if you go along and start talking about changing your residential status, it probably won’t trigger the right process for amending your correspondence address. I agree that this is often the problem, you need to be very clear what démarche you actually want to do. In the above case, all the fonctionnaire needs to know is what address you want your bills posted to. Any other information risks derailing the process.
No idea about the online change of address service to be honest, I just thought I’d post the link in case it was useful to someone. As you say you may well have to be in the system to use it, obviously the government online services are primarily designed with the needs of residents in mind.
Well, the tax office doesn’t actually need to know before then. As far as they’re concerned you’re not a taxpayer until you start paying taxes. It’s logical. Again, information on a need to know basis.
David… not sure if I have understood your question correctly but…
We have our principal residence in France … and …
We also have another tiny house, in the same village , which is classed as our second home…
2 lots of Taxe Foncière and 2 lots of Taxe d’Hab (at the moment… one may disappear) 
We have French/non-French folk who have more than one home across France. … it is important to know which address they intend to use as Main Residence…for the Electoral Roll purposes…
Or as the tax office would see it, so they know how to calculate your taxe d’habition…
I am talking from the Mairie’s point of view… they are charged with the accuracy of the Electoral Roll… and, in the past, throughout France there have been whispers of some folk making multiple votes… at multiple polling stations…
In fact I believe that subject to certain conditions a person can register to vote in the commune where they have their secondary residence, rather than where their main residence is.
I don’t know how it works administratively to ensure they’re not voting twice.
Folk have to Attest/sign at the chosen Mairie, that their address in that Commune is to be used as the “Voting” address… and all correspondence will be sent there…
Things are changing from 2019… but at the moment, it is possible for fraudulent voting to happen… (as in any country I reckon)… if the voter is not honest… and makes Attestations at more than one Mairie…or if the Voter fails to have himself removed from one Mairie when he changes his mind/ moves to another commune… multiple voting cards could be received by a Voter and unless that person is honest… multiple voting could take place…