Surviving France!

Hi


I ve recently joined this network. I own a house in France and have struggled over the last years to make ends meet and to feel connected to the French community although I have tried to connect being a friendly and outgoing person.


I found myself loading up my car and driving back to the UK before Christmas where I am now having found a good job and am enjoying working here after all these years. I do miss my home though and the countryside in France. Can anyone advise me on something?


If I were to register back into the English system while working over here and then decided to sell my home in France what is the situation with capital gains tax? Someone mentioned that it would be better to keep in the French system to avoid paying capital gains tax ( I am now spending half the year in the UK and half the year in France ) I have had the place in France for the last 16 years but was travelling in S Spain for the first part of that and have only been full time in France for the last three years.


ALSO


With my job here in the UK my tax is deducted each week out of my earnings. What do I do on the tax forms in France isf i have already paid my tax in the UK.


Can anyone put me in touch with someone who can advise on these matters?


Many thanks


Jenni

Thanks Jane

It's because the law has finer points and because it is updated from time to time that we have lawyers Anthony.

£50 pounds spent on an eleven year old book to save £120 would not be a saving if by your misinterpretation you cost yourself substantially more in future.

You can glean a lot of rubbish on the internet and as a source of unreliable information it is unsurpassed.

Yes that's it.

Hi Jane

Is the newsletter the column on the right with different headings?

Hi Jane

Thanks so much. I will look at it now.

All best wishes

Jenni, look at the newsletter at the French Property pages. It is full of up to the minute advice on all matters and I am sure you will find the answers there.

Good luck.

Many thanks to you Andrew.

I really appreciate all this useful advice.

Thanks so much Anthony..very gratefully received. I just want to check something: A friend said to be careful that I don t get taxed twice once I fill in my tax forms in France after working for five months in the UK. Once I declare the earnings from the UK are you sure they wont tax me again?

Many thanks

Jenni

Yep, watch out on the edition date as plus value was overhauled not long ago and many things have changed (the old 15 year ruling which would have exonerated Jenni from paying for example) Have a look here for the latest info direct from the horse's mouth ;-)

[your last sentence] For the UK earned income already taxed PAYE, you still declare it on your French (self assessment) tax forms (they 'need to know about it' rather than tax you again, which is contrary to the principles of the EU, so that shouldn't happen). We have to do the same as we have UK income and some diddley-squat French income too. We too are effectively on both tax systems, we have UK income and income in France too. We now live in Fr. permanently.

Re: capital gains tax on the sale of a Fr. house. I can recommend a book, it is: "French Property and Inheritance Law - Principles & Practice", by Henry Dyson, OUP. I bought this book (from new) at Wildy's in London WC2A 2JD and it cost me £50; legal books - packed full of hard knowledge - are always expensive, so the £50 is nothing, bearing in mind that 1 hour with a solicitor can be anything from £120 p/h to £250 p/h. It is £60 to £65 on Amazon.co.uk today. Bear in mind also that the edition date is 2003 (11 years ago), so it is likely to not be bang up to date on the finer points of law, but, as we all know, nothing ever changes in France anyway ...

Even so, you can glean a great deal on the internet. If I can be of any further interest, let me know. Also, FYI, I will be in England (Stansted, Peterborough, London 7th) between 5th and 9th Feb 2014, if that is of any use.

Wait until you're back in France if you wish to sell the house. Once you're back in the French system, paying taxe d'habitation and taxe foncière and your impôts here then there won't be a problem and it'll save you paying 30+% plus value ;-)

I think James has featured this discussion so you're bound to get lots of advice from other members too ;-)

Hi Andrew Thanks so much for replying. I feel a bit like a fish out of water in this. The job in the UK is only 5 months in total and I am returning to France in June. Do you know of anyone who can advise further in these matters? All best wishes

Sorry you had to leave France for work but understand why! Unfortunately, in your current situation I don't think you could get out of paying plus value if you sold the house. If you're back in the UK and working there, then I think it'd be hard to convicer a notaire (effectively a state tax collector!) that you are resident in France and that the house is your main residence. Perhaps others think differently but that's my humble opinion ;-)