RSI payment

I am sitting out here in the lovely sun with my laptop. I am working, looking at incoming messages and was thinking what an uncomplicated day. The phone rang just now though and a panicky voice asked for my OH. She is away so I asked if I could pass on a message.


The woman phoning is English, she lives with her boyfriend, also English. He is a plumber and registered as an AE, she too is an AE but I have no idea what she does. Anyway, she has just opened a letter from RSI that arrived about 10 days ago and it is her 'Déclaration Trimestrielle...'. She can't read French so I told her to come over to us, she being about 10 minutes drive away. I also told her she can pay online. So she'll pop over this evening and let me give her a hand. Easy enough.


The problem is her boyfriend. Phil has been here for well over 20 years, his French is pretty good and he would most certainly be able to help her. Now for the catch. He went over to England because his mother was dying, which she eventually did. When he arrived at the funeral the car taking him parked driver to pavement, so he got out of the passenger side and was hit by a car. He has been in hospital somewhere in the north of England since, apparently he was unconscious for two days and is not very clear yet. He has also broken his right arm, so cannot write, use a computer or anything. When she phoned him this morning he was in no fit state to say anything about it.


She has no idea what he has earned because he has not done his bookkeeping properly, so cannot envisage trying to pay for him. She is wondering what to do.


Last year at exactly this time, my OH and I were away when the letter arrived, got back after 31 July and tried to call and explain. We both had to pay the penalty anyway.


So, does anybody know what this woman can do (which may involve me phoning, writing or doing whatever is of any use)? Has anybody any experience of a similar situation and know what to do? I need to know by this evening (Tuesday) preferably. Failing that, I imagine tomorrow will be OK.




I've not heard again Mark. I think this is somebody quite 'afraid' of the system, no idea what she did in the end because she never got back to and my OH is back and has not heard either. Too late for benefits for him, I gathered he had been in hospital about 10 days by the time she was looking for help.

One thing she must do within a few days of the accident is to send in the doctor's certificate letting them know how long he will be off work - this is for sickness benefit. I did not submit mine within the week & was "fined" 4 days - not that it made any difference in my case as I have not been an AE for a full year. I needed to break my leg next Thursday!

AE does pay on turnover - the amount of paid invoices you have whether banked or cash, not just amount paid into bank.

I think, at least hope for doing a favour, that it is resolved-ish. I'll try to avoid helping people with this in future.

Just talked to OH and we think we are correct in saying that an AE pays on turn over only (the amount actually banked). May help you with this - is worth checking as the RSI will not tell you unless you ask a specific question. If you have the figures for banking the rest should be quite easy. Good luck.

I think, I don't know her as such, that the ladyfriend is a) a bit too nervous to try and b) I already know from my OH that she is not the absolutely brightest person in the world. On both counts, I did what I could and if she wants me to draft the letter for the hospital I will do that. I am also learning a bit more about URSSAF, RSI/RAM too boot, there is never enough of that.

I would guestimate the figures, using previous trimestres as you have a possiblity to adjust them for a certain length of time afterwards (can't remember how long though). Any adjustments can then be made the following trimestre, then IF anyone ever checks the books, you explain what happened, preferably with proof of hospitalisation.

Having spent a second full morning at the Chambre de Metiers, this week, I have had a comprehensive lesson from them about how to work the AE system!

Well, easy then (not). I called RSI and got straight through, which never happens calling for myself. In two minutes flat it was explained that if the responsible doctor, along with the hospital director, write a letter that is signed and stamped by both, but in French, that must be registered and urgent delivery, then they may be able to make arrangements for him to catch up once he returns to France. The letter must be in by 31 July. If they can do something, then it will be a 31 August deadline at latest.

I followed through by calling the girlfriend who was grateful, will call the hospital but doubts, being England, that they can get their act together that quickly. I offered to draft a letter to e-mail to them if necessary. Will it work?

Hi Christa, she has just been on the phone again. She tried calling them and somebody found an English sepaker who told her she should not be wasting the time of busy people and I can imagine what else... exactly in the same direction as you were thinking probably. She told me during the first call that the man normally does have immaculate books, but when he got the phone call a few weeks ago just dropped everything, called all his customers to tell them, then went there and then. He was booked to return the day after the funeral and would have been back nearly two weeks already with time to do his books up to the last two weeks of the trimestre and get it in in time.

I doubt if I call tomorrow I will have any more success than her. I suspect it will receive the same treatment as us returning from holiday after the deadline.