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Oboulez

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Everything posted by Oboulez

  1. I guess that because my lifelong previous career in the UK required planning and foresight, I am at this stage seeking to gen myself up on what I should be looking to achieve which will be of use in the future. Having looked for a legit job for years now - even extremely base level jobs like stacking the fruit & veg in Intermarché or making boxes for oysters advertised around here require 12 months experience and or some bac etc, I am grateful for even getting the chance of a trial at the hotel (okay - there was a personal introduction involved) with no previous other than the fact that I can turn out better food than is served in many local restaurants. I am in no way suggesting that nobody is worried about food hygiene - it is more a case of wanting to plan ahead and what are the formations that I should be seeking if this were to be my new life.
  2. Thanks Norman. Having passed my 'trials', I am awaiting my contract and proper work which will start next month. It is more of a commis role than a plongeur, in that I am prepping and aiding the chef (as well as mucking in with her washing the pots and plates). I will be doing services on my own. I believe that there is some basic course in food prep & hygiene which is mandatory. Do you know anything about that? Ta.
  3. Like many expats, a career change was necessary in order to secure a job here. My home cooking skills has secured me a job in a local hotel kitchen. Can anybody please advise me what courses I should ask for. I assume that there will be necessary some sort of food hygiene course, but given the obsession here with qualifications (and experience) - even for the most menial job - what 'pieces of paper' should I aspire to if I have any hope of kitchen work being my second career. Thanks
  4. Now that France has finally complied with the European Commission rulings that it must revoke the 100bhp limit, I have now been able to get my Honda motor cycle out of the garage where it has been for the last 6 years. It is insured, and the next step is of course to register it here. My problem will be that the bike was registered pre 2001 - the time when V5's also became C of C's. The bike will soon be a 'classic', and is standard in every way, with a full Honda history, flat beam headlights, and a speedo in both mph/kph. I have spoken to Honda UK, and they say that they can send me - for a fee - a letter stating the model details, date of manufacture, motorcycle name and model - however of course all of this is already on my V5. I have written to my local prefecture in Angouleme asking for their position, however they have repeatedly failed to respond to my correspondence. Can anybody advise? Is it worth just chancing it using the info given on this thread?
  5. I exchanged my UK licence a few years ago, and when I received my French one, I noted that the C & D categories had much reduced expiry dates - expiring next month. This did not appear much of a problem at the time, as I did not envisage driving many 7.5 tonners - however it appears that this might now be a little inconvenient. The expiry dates on the UK licence was years away (I am only in my early 50's). Can anybody shed any light on the reduced validity and offer any suggestions? Thanks.
  6. Thanks to the both of you. This should be a good starter for ten. Regards
  7. Having lived off my UK government service pension for a few years, I have finally - after much searching - eventually found a job in a local brasserie. To date, we have been paying for our carte vitale health cover by paying URSSAF €x per quarter. Can anybody please tell me what may change and what I may have to do now that I am working and paying into the system? Thanks.
  8. Again, than you all for your comments. I will write to HMRC, if it is possible, being even more specific as to my enquiry, and I will report back.
  9. On the notes section, the form states "Form France-Individual enables you as a resident of France to apply under the UK/France double taxation convention for examption from UK income tax on a UK state pension or UK incapacity benefit, and UK sourced pensions,....... The form provides for a claim of repayment of UK tax in case where payments of the income have already been made with UK tax deducted. I asked HMRC the specific question, and this is what they sent. Thanks for the posts so far.
  10. On the notes section, the form states "Form France-Individual enables you as a resident of France to apply under the UK/France double taxation convention for examption from UK income tax on a UK state pension or UK incapacity benefit, and UK sourced pensions,....... The form provides for a claim of repayment of UK tax in case where payments of the income have already been made with UK tax deducted. I asked HMRC the specific question, and it appears that they have sent the form for me to enable me to do that. I was wondering whether anybody else had actually done it & their subsequent experience. Thanks for the posts so far.
  11. I posed the question to the HMRC Liverpool office (possibility of paying tax in France), and they sent me forms in English & French. The English goes back to Liverpool, & the French to the local tax office. The form does not have a number printed on it, however it is headed "Form France-Individual - UK/France double taxation convention (SI 2009 Number 226)".
  12. This is the sort of thing that I am wondering about Betty. At the end of the day, even if ended up paying the same here, I would rather pay my tax here. Do you know how the social charges work?
  13. My government service pension is taxed at source, however the arrival of this years tax forms has spurred me into thinking again about something which I have been contemplating for a while. I pay quite a lot every month UK tax - and get not a jot in return, having absolutely no interests or assets - indeed no intention ever to return to the UK. I applied and have been sent forms from the UK tax authorites which I could send to the French authorities for me to opt out of the agreement, and pay my tax here. Looking at the tax bands, I believe that I would pay much less tax - plus, I would rather pay tax where I actually live and derive benefits from. Has anybody else opted out, and if so, what effects did it have? Thanks
  14. Oboulez

    CPAM - Nimes

    Thanks NormanH. I had found that one, but was wondering whether anybody had a direct line or emailaddress to the actual office - as opposed to the switchboard and thereafter getting lost in the (expensive) interdepartmental maze of doom.......
  15. Oboulez

    CPAM - Nimes

    Does anybody have a contact number or email address for CREIC, CPAM at Nimes. They manage the applications for admission by 'early retirees' into CPAM. Our S1 cover expires soon, and supposidly our application has been forwarded from the local CPAM to them for process. We want to chase up an update...
  16. We have a contract with Orange for TV, internet & phone. Previously we used to get the TV via the internet, however we have moved, and deep in the sticks the broadband is insufficient to do this. They say that they will pay €100 towards getting a satelite installed - via of course their installers. The previous occupants had satelite TV, so the cables & holes in the wall etc are there. It is merely the case of buying & tuning in a satelite (it will go on a pergola at the side of the house). Has anybody else done this and has a guesstimation of what the cost might be over & above the €100?
  17. Cheers EuroTrash. A person after my own heart it appears. By chance - I am waiting for a response from HMRC to a question I posed them a little while ago. I am fed up paying tax on my pension to the UK exchequor. I have no financial - or indeed any other interest in the UK. I am looking to see whether I can pay my tax here. My son - who is French has just started maternelle, and France is where our life is. I think it is morally wrong that I am paying tax in a country where I have no interest, benefit, or even representation - yet - I am benefitting every day from the french taxpayer. Mabey I am a bit late to develop morals, but you have no need to worry, I won't be buying a Tranny & a digger!
  18. "but they choose to ignore the "and work" bit"............ I am not quite sure how to take this observation. I am not some sort of economic migrant as can be found in the UK. We live off my service pension, which actually is sufficient to live the fairly simple life we want here after spending a lifetime of **** doing unpleasant things in unpleasant places. Even if I wanted to work, where I live, I don't know what I could actually do - given that beyond a solar panel factory & driving tractors - there really is not much else. Unless if you count what many other non OAP British expat seems to do - buy an old Transit flatbed & a digger, set yourself up as some 'general builder' or 'landscaper', and then go around ripping off or overcharging other expats who don't have the linguistic confidence to use french tradesmen.
  19. I refer to my earlier posts stating that I have found myself in the same position as plod this year. I emailed the local contact address on my tax form to question this tax. Two strange things I must observe - firstly that a company or body here actually had an email address, and more astonishingly - somebody actually responded - never mind the next working morning!!!!!! Their initial response was that this tax related to income from last year. I replied that my circumstances were exactly the same last year. Today they have responded that it was a mistake, and they will refund this €93. I suggest that plod does likewise. In my mail I merely informed that I was questioning their demand, and asking them how this was calculated. I told them that my sole income was my UK government service pension, that this was taxed at source in the UK, and that this was the subject to the UK/ France double taxation agreement meaning that it was not subject to french tax.
  20. Thanks Pommier. We had heard that France was possibly in breach of an EU ruling if they refused cover - that said, we all know that France will do whatever it wants, irrespective of what anybody orders - otherwise I would be able to register my 120bhp motor bike here...... That said - where would I rather be???????
  21. Both our Form S1's expire in the new year. We have lived in France for 3 years. We have received conflicting advice from either our own internet research, or from HMRC in the UK as to what happens next. We know about the 5 year residency rule for otherwise entering into the french system. We are not OAP's & we live off my UK service pension. Can anybody give us some pointers? Thanks.
  22. Do you have any UK bank interest to be declared? That could account for 93 euros............ No. All my money went to move here. Anyway, any interest accrued in UK banks are taxed at source.
  23. I have just got my tax bill through, and I too am on a UK service pension & have previously not had to pay tax here - I have no income here. My bill is for €93. Not a lot admittedly, however I am going to have to try to figure out how they come by this, then the task of trying to fight it. How can you have a tax bill here when you have no taxible income?
  24. I guess that it is a nice earner for the brokers in the case of those who do not realise that you may get it free off the back of your house insurance......
  25. Update. Thanks everybody for your assistance. Our house insurer - Pacifica - has added this to the insurance & sent out a certificat scolaire or free.......
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