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As per the title. I could do with talking to someone who knows the French tax system so that I don't fill in all the wrong boxes. Any leads welcome - and I'm not expecting anything for free either. You can email me if you'd prefer - chipps @ singletrackworld.com and all that. Thanks!
Anyone else made a complicated cross-border move like this?
My dad was a guest on French national TV once to explain in broad terms how the UK taxation system worked.
I realise this anecdotes is of absolutely no use to you apart from a slight bump up the thread list. Maybe I should have left it a few hours.
Anyone else made a complicated cross-border move like this?
Numerous times...
All depends where you are being paid i.e. if you are employed out of the UK (or elsewhere) or in France.
If it's the latter and you're going to be non domiciled you do what you'd advise a French person moving here to do and just get a local accountant, preferably one speaks English unless your French is decent.
Depending where that can probably be recommended by other local ex-pats.
You can go for a "bigger" type service (my friend used to run one in Paris) where someone will do what can be equally confusing and deal with this as part of a relocation service. (Getting a bank account/utilities etc. etc.)
TBH I found the French personal assessment a lot simpler than he UK one** so its conceivably something you'd do yourself after the first year.
**At least it's more straight-forwards. Assuming you understand the French the questions don't require you to know obscure details of pensions and stuff.
When I went self employed in Spain I just signed up for an online gestor (cabinet d'affaires?). They did the equivalent of VAT, PAYE, NI etc for about 30eur a month. It's not complicated and I do it all myself now, but it was money well spent at the beginning.
Some of the best advice is free. Once you've got your login for the impots.gouv.fr site there's message system which unlike the one on STW works. 😉 If you have any questions or doubts that clicking on the help icon don't solve send a message and you'll get an answer. I work on the basis I've nothing to hide and just explain. In the unlikely event that you don't get a definitive answer via the message system make an appointment with your local impôts, they can be remarkably helpful.
If you feel the need for an accountant or have a company status that requires one then having one that does conseil juridique as well as just accounts is worth it IME. It won't cost much more.
In answer to the original question, I used Groupe Sully in Serres-Castet for the years I ran a business, though geographically it's not exactly convenient for you . A lot depends on the person that you are assigned by the accountancy firm. Get someone good, I did, and they'll do your research for you. The day you know you chose wisely is when you get a contrôle fiscal and after a couple of hours of grilling the inspector leaves happy and you hear nothing more from them.
There are all sorts of tax agreements between France and the UK that often pre-date the UK's membership of the EU and still hold good. Google is your friend.
Thanks for the answers there. I've found a couple of handy Facebook groups too. I'm likely to be classed as a Microentrepreneur, as I'm effectively self-employed now, in the UK and in France - although which of their many professions and guilds I'll fall under, who knows? 🙂 There's also the complication that I now earn my UK income from (untaxed) dividends from the UK, and I understand that France loves to tax corporate freeloaders like me, hence my need to make sure I tick all the right boxes the first time...
I'm sure we'll get there. As @edukator says, I have nothing to hide, though probably plenty to lose if I get it wrong. A bit like when we signed up to the wrong French electricity tariff in a hurry and ended up with monster bills - before they all went up. Sorted now though.
Cheers all, as ever.
By the time you've read this you've probably stumbled across the Strictly Fiscal France fb group, but I'll recommend it anyway.
@ocrider I'm already a member, though I've not dared post yet as my dislike of filling forms, combined with my disregard of/nonchalance about numbers is bound to become evident very quickly... 🙂
Yeah, paperasse happens to be one of my favourite French words and one of my last favourite activities! I'm quite relieved that we have a very straight forward tax declaration that requires very little to add.
This is what we do. Based in Chamonix.
https://ewp.uk.com/
I'm a forum member since 2001.
If you're "micro" you don't need an accountant. Why pay someone when the man at the tax office will help you for free?
Dividends go on line 2DC, you don't get a credit d'impôts on foreign dividendes that haven't had tax paid on them so don't try to claim one on 2AB. You'll also have to fill in form 2047.
Make sure you fill in the form with all of your foreign bank accounts and don't forget to declare all the silly little bits of interest you get.
Can you get some of the money from the UK as income to decalare as a microentrepreneur rather than dividends? That means you can declare enough as a micro entrepreneur to get get all you social security and prension rights and only pay 25% on it because you can sort the tax with 1% forfait libératoire. About 13 000e IIRCis the minimum to aim for as a microentrepreneur. Junior keeps trying and failing. 🙁