A simple descriptive help sheet for filling in your 2021 tax return (updated 6th May 2021)
tax return info.pdf (55.6 KB)
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Thanks Graham, that help sheet is very handy.
I have a couple of questions that hopefully won’t come across as being really dumb 
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If I transferred savings from the UK to my French bank account last year, must this be declared as income on my French tax return, even though tax was paid on the income in the UK?
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I arrived and started working in France on 1 October 2020. Must I declare my income from working in the UK between 1 January - 30 September on my French tax return?
Thanks.
EDIT: PS, this is obviously my first (paper) return. I have informed HMRC that I am now tax resident in France.
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I arrived a bit earlier in the year but also had a part year to declare.
Local tax office (Dreux) gave me two meetings with an expert to get everything in the right box. May have to be Skype this year but it’s worth making contact and saying sorry, just came here, please please help. I find that approach often gets the best out of French officialdom.
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Doubtful that it would be necessary imo. Sure, your bank account will show some funds in there from a UK source, but provided you can explain the nature of the funds if challenged to do so then I doubt there will be any fiscal interest in them. If the account from which the funds were transferred still exists then don’t forget to disclose it on the 3916 Form.
Only the income from when you arrived in France will be of interest to the fisc (ie 1st October 2020 onwards).
Once you have a French Tax Reference Number (which will be issued after your first return), you can complete the Form France-Individual reference here which will ensure that you are not taxed twice under the Double Taxation Treaty. This is in addition to informing HMRC that you are now resident in France and is a formal requirement.
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A simple form to help record your tax information for submission.
fichier help tax-1.pdf (20.1 KB)
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That looks useful, thank you! Only comment I would make is that several other advisors give to pound to euro conversion rate as 1.143 whereas it is stated by your source as 1.13
I am aware that people use different rates for conversion but I think it should be pointed out that they should not just take one of them as gospel. This has been discussed elsewhere, of course 
Yes, it has been discussed many times and will continue to be so.
Not sure how to respond there Angela except as to say “whatever you think you can get away with” 
My resource says 1.13 (referring specifically to Charente) and Belvin Franks says:
Others say this and some say that… but what is almost certain is that you can’t use the £ and just call it €.
I favour the view that you add up all the € received in to your French bank account and convert the remaining £ (if any) at a rate you can justify if later challenged by the fisc. In most cases, the differences between the suggested rates will be of little or no significance to the final result.
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I wrote to my tax office a week or so ago asking for the rate to use for sterling payments. They gave me .899 which converted (unless I am doing something wrong) is equivalent to €1.112347 to £1. That is a lot lower than the rates of 1.13 or 1.143.
Needless to say, I shall as instructed.
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As indicated further up in the topic and in my tax return help pdf, you are doing the right thing (if given a lower rate by the fisc) but other Departments may have a different use rate so not to be taken as a given across the board.
For reference, which Dept are you in?
Actually, it wasn’t the local tax office specifically but the online one where the tax returns are posted, if that is different. We are in 82, Tarn & Garonne. I did an entry by entry conversion as well and that came out just slightly higher but not much.
Same meat, different gravy.
If you had a response in writing, it will be prudent to print it off and keep it with your own tax record.
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Good idea, I will just in case it disappears from my inbox…
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Morning
As Graham says, print out and keep. You can only do as you are told by the authorities.
Good fun
Andy
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As a first time filler-in on paper, I offer you my warm appreciation of the links and the table identifying what goes in which box. Thank you
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Your help sheet looks to be very helpful, so thank you.
The form 2042 that has come to us this year pre-filled doesn’t have 1AM and 1BM for income, it has 1AJ and 1BJ and I feel this is not right. Either I did it wrong last year or I am confused this year. Can you help me please? We are pensioners and I always have to claim back the social taxes, which is a trial as they never want to repay it even when they send me a form to say they will.
There are boxes 1AJ and 1BJ but they seem to be on Form 2047 and relate to revenue d’activitie connus (known activity income) which does get carried over to other forms so, if as you say, you are simply pensioners (presumably only with pension income) that doesn’t seem to stack up as you say so the only advice appropriate is to contact the fisc and seek their advice on how to proceed. Maybe last year’s return was wrong too, as you say.
Without knowing what your income is, how it (was) is derived and how it was declared it is impossible to be helpful I’m afraid.
I’m not a tax expert; the guide outlines what steps to take with the online submission - indeed, I haven’t seen a paper return for years.
The guide is exactly that (and I notice that some of the graphics relate to previous years). I am not the author of the guide as I confirmed earlier (but next year will possibly do my own guide which can only be done after the fisc publish the online return of course).
Thanks Graham. I think the best thing is to send a message to the tax office explaining our situation income wise and see if they will send the correct form for us. I am sure I have filled in a 2042C in the past. Even the bank detail sheets have changed this year and are not automatic as previously. I have decided to send in a sheet with all the details on as I have that on my computer already.
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As explained in the Online post above, the Bank Detail forms 3916 have changed this year as they now incorporate the 3916-BIS form (which was separate before) so they need to be re-submitted as extra information is required.
You can see the new form here 3916_3425-2.pdf (341.9 KB) If sending the information on a separate sheet, just be certain that all the required info is included.
You shouldn’t have to claim them back if you have ticked the right boxes 8SH and 8SI on form 2042-C or online: