Over the years we have bought 4 bordering parcels of agricultural land from our neighbouring farmers and incorporated them into our garden. We’ve done nothing with them other than let them go wild or plant trees.
Today we have received notification of 40 something euros of reimbursement of tax fonciere owing to this year’s poor harvest, with the 4 cadastral numbers marked on the paperwork.
Since we are not farmers we feel we are not entitled to this. OH is planning to go to the tax office to offer to pay it back.
Anyone else in a similar situation?
We had the same a few years back, 30 odd euros if memory serves.
Its how the system works, bank it and spend it.
I suspect the land parcels are still “registered” as Agricultural/Farming rather than “Private land/Garden”… 
Friends received a questionaire some years ago… checking on their land parcels (which had been used by a local farmer from time to time in the past) … and they ticked the box which applied to their current situation… otherwise they too would be receiving a “windfall”
I have had the same! As he says, bank it and spend it! It is how it is. Some years back, I was not asked for income tax! I went to question it with laughter all around and comments that I was obviously not yet a Frenchman 
I had a similar situation a few years ago after we bought an additional parcel of land. I called the notaire who discovered that the land was still registered as agricultural and we changed it over to domestic use. As a result, no refund but as we’d done nothing to deserve one I really didn’t mind.
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Obviously ours is stillagricultural. As there is a shed on one of the parcels that we might want to do work on to turn into a summer kitchen and extra storage for the gite at some point I’m guessing having the land converted to domestic use might make that step easier?
If it troubles you, you could donate it to a local farmers’ charitable organisation - you might get details from your Mairie.
Is that a Go Fund Me page for a new John Deere?
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I admit to admiring all the machinery at our town’s foire 
even though I have no idea what most of them are for!
but I’m also aware of the significant suicide rate among farmers (see Désinfox. Agriculteurs : y a-t-il vraiment un suicide tous les deux jours ?, for example, if you can get beyond the unhelpful polemic), a subject close to my heart.
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