Stop messing with the AE regime!

Ley, Barbara was a 'restauranter' in the UK..... that is correct English. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/restauranter

It is restaurateur - not restauraNteur

I am not surprised Jane that CPAM claim not to have been told of the decision...however, that doesn't mean they were not told the decision! Losing letters seems to be the norm, even registered letters. I know I may have a reputation for being a tad critical of some aspects of life in France...;-), but the confusion and difficulty and constant change with systems like the AE underline my point, that it is much harder to establish a business and feel safe in the knowledge that you have some ongoing consistency and no horrible surprises around the corner. Our French neighbours who ran a large supermarket in town for many years have thrown in the towel, they told us employing staff and the fact they tried to cover so many of the hours to save money on employing even more staff, meant they had no life. They were making both working in excess of 60 hours a week. He now installs swimming pools around the South west of France and is sometimes away for a week at a time, but not having the responsibility for employing others makes for a happier and wealthier life. For a country which is allegedly socialist, France doesn't deal kindly with its citizens in the employment field.

You have hit the nail on the head Brian. They don't seem to know what they are doing and then it varies from Departement to Departement.

I have been in touch with the CPAM who refusedme leave to go to UK for medical treatment as to why I had heard nothing from them after the EU Commission found against them and the French authorities admitteds that they were wrong. They have not been told of the decision and I have to send them a copy of the letter!

This is something that could possibly affect the life or wellbeing of a British retiree, you soon, and yet it seems not to matter to them. I will have to take up the matter with both Brussels and London. I ask myself why should it be down to an individual to monitor what the French are not doing and what Brussels says it will do?

Life is a bit lie that Brian!

You developed your store of k nowledge and probably became a master of

fine detail, definition and perfect English.

My studies ended at 16 with no more than 4 a levels and a great deal of determination.

I have never ever had a well paid job but I have worked so hard that I drove myself myself

over the edge and suprised a lot of people when I came back and picked up the pieces and

saved and maintained the buisness.

But if you want to be old and cosy in your slippers and with love in your heart you have to be

honest with yourself.

It was very hard to give up my life as a restauranter.

Could I exchange that life which was filled with only work and punctuated

with sleep?

Let us be logical....we really hav e no choice.

So I have done my time in UK and paid my taxes....for the staff whom we trained and finally

to the capitol gains which we paid as we waved goodbye to our restaurant.

There are a thousand stories sleeping in my mind and on this computor relating to the

problems I had with the vat office and the paye inspectors who were determind to draw the

blood from my veins.....but alas they failed and I won.

Sold in the Uk at the perfect moment....I had anticipated this long and sceptic

financial period.

So we came here to survive in France.

Still working.....still paying taxes.

still hoping that the greedy will stop being greedy.

And that the French tax system will be something understandable.

It is all of my nightmares meeting at my weakest point in my financial existence. In October I am 65, so in theory it is pension time. I have filled in all my UK forms for my minimal pension. About 30 quid a week I gather. Why so? Well, I spent years as a student through post graduate on grants, then I had 20 years in sum total of research funding. I was 44 when I reached that point in my life. By then I was already regularly working freelance and was warned I would never have the years for a full state pension. I spent a large part of 18 of the research years as part of a German institution so commuted back and forth and paid social stoppages there. I actually have a pension I deferred until I am 70. Question might be whether or not I shall live that long. I was advised to get myself a good private pension fund, my income was good so I shoved a lot of money into that. Problem is that it was one that went totally bust a few years back and all was lost.

So, my life looked like the choice of working until I drop or working until I drop. So when we came here I 'signed up' to being an AE. I must say I have paid my bit each quarter except that I had the accident and became ill in April last year and since have done a bit of work and paid my dues but in reality live from RSI/RAM paying my actually costly medical expenses. I claim no benefits although I could have become 'disabled' last year.

Now I am beginning to get the first signs of the powers that be making assumptions about me becoming a UK pensioner not realising that I am paying the price of being the equivalent of an AE from a UK base for many years. I have no choice but to work, but am limited in what I can do. That does not interest them. I am alive, therefore... I suspect the UK pittance, sorry meant pension, will be a lovely equivalent of a hefty kick in the groin. I have been to URSSAF, RSI/RAM to talk to them but have had several different answers to a single question. I suspect they have not the first clue what they are doing themselves. I have found them helpful, receptive, friendly and cannot complain except that they appear to have no idea what is what.

I just really want to be left alone, allowed to do my bits and pieces of work, pay what I have to and continue as had. Unfortunately the AE regime is tweaked so often that since they don't know what is going on themselves, RSI/RAM are beginning to clam up. Sylvia Pinel does not include me in her fan club.

No one really seems to know the system.

I had one accountant ( large company ) and he managed to

create an error which I spotted and eventually he agreed that

he made. Thousands of calls, emails and letters later I managed the

impossible and received a reembersement from RSI.

Yes, of course we changed accountants but they all seem to have attended

different schools and taken different exams.

Confusion.com.

I Will never understand tax in any language.

It is the language of confusion which gets in the way.

Now what I would like to know is....

What is the current ceiling tunover for a chambre d hote ?

And its classification?

How does it vary from a Gite...,,,?

And a restaurant or Hotel?

Just what is the difference between micro bic and A and E?

Simple seems to be a dirty word in French burocracy, so the creation of a simple trading status is a complete 'horreur' to the present government. After all it encourages free enterprise and with that a freer economy. Whatever next - mon dieu!

Pinel's 'pulp faction' have stirred up a lot of brouhaha about the AE status creating supposedly, 'unfair' competition, but this typical example of political indoctrination seems hard to swallow in 2013. It is after all the government that set the goalposts in the first place. They have the power to alleviate small businesses of governmental th.ft and charges. However, instead they use the example of small companies, who often don't survive their 3rd year and make them the example for everyone.
The most worrying comment on their webpage ( http://www.gouvernement.fr)concerning those who'll have to leave AE status is ' Une année de transition sans hausse brutale de cotisation sera mise en place'! In other words before robbing you 'brutally' they'll give you a year to prepare paying them! Thanks Sylvie - what a star.


Facing the hard facts, an AE who's forced to move 'up' to the next IE BNC status will need a minimum starting capital of around 7000 euros since the government invent new taxes + increase charges at the drop of a hat, and they bear no relation to the net earnings of a sole trader - believe me, I know. When an accountant is unable to tell you what EXACT social charges and taxes you face from one year to the next, then I don't see what chance us lesser mortals have.


Good luck to everyone out their who's self-employed in France.